JC Blog

During the winter months I looked down on my keychain and realized that I had lost the key to my Harley. I had it on one of those quick release loops so I could remove it from the rest of my keys when I wanted to go out riding. The set also had a house key on it. I looked everywhere for it, in all of my purses and pockets, but since I couldn't pinpoint the timeframe that I lost it, there was no hope of finding it.

After I had given up the search, I had to tell my husband that it was gone. I expected him to be very angry about it even though it was a accident. However, when I told him he extended leniency towards my situation and dismissed it with a shrug and a comment that 'these things happen'. I was relieved. Not only was he not angry, he was sympatric to my plight because it could have happened to anyone.

As humans, we like grace for ourselves and justice for everyone else. A lot of times we do not like to be gracious towards others. We can be quick to point our finger at everyone else while having three fingers pointed back at ourselves. Paul is reminding us in this passage not to be too quick to judge. Previously he wrote that God is the one who is the judge and His judgment is based solely on the truth. Since we are not the judge, we shouldn't be quick to step into that role.

The truth is, that God is much more ready to extend mercy to us, than we are ready to offer it to one another. In Hosea 6:6 He said, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice". The Amplified Bible puts it this way, " I desire and delight in dutiful steadfast love and goodness, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of and acquaintance with God more than burnt offerings." As with everything, God is concerned with the condition of our heart and wants them pure before him. When we extend grace towards one another then we resemble our Father in Heaven.

Lastly, Paul lets us in on a foundational truth, God is a God of kindness, tolerance and patience. He wants us to experience mercy and in the same way pass that along towards our fellow man. His goodness is what brings us to repentance. His favor along with the knowledge of Him makes us complete. In the same way that my husbands forbearance with me made me appreciate him and learn something about Him, God's mercy and grace does the same thing. When we experience this, then we know Him better and continue to move into the fullness of Christ. Today, may you experience the richness of Christ and know that His mercy is extended to you as you pass it along towards others!

In a world that seems ever increasingly dark and hopeless, as Christians our hope is based upon the promise of God. This promise is our salvation. While we have already received the first fruits of our salvation, the promised Holy Spirit, we are still waiting for the rest of the promise to be fulfilled. Because of this, we groan inwardly and long to be reunited with the Lord in heaven, waiting for our adoption as his children to be revealed ( Romans 8:23 ). However, based on this hope we can wait with patience and with purpose until we see our final eternal redemption.

The Amplified Bible puts it this way, "But if we hope for what is still unseen by us, we wait for it with patience and composure" ( Romans 8:25 Amp ). Patience is not an inactive thing. Many misconstrue the meaning of patience to denote that we passively endure everything thrown our way as we wait to go to heaven. But this is not the picture painted for us in the Bible of how we are to wait. Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father" ( John 14:12 ). Jesus didn't sit back and go through life passively or aimlessly, he broke the power of darkness everywhere he went. Then he commissioned us to do the very same things and gave us the Holy Spirit to enable us to do it.

Waiting patiently with composure separates us from the world. Having this hope inside of us brings us peace in a world where trouble and heartache abound. Jesus reminded us in John that the Holy Spirit whom he's given us is the first fruits of our redemption and part of his job is to keep us in a state of peace. "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" ( John 14:26-27 ). Knowing this, we can be encouraged that we can live separately from the world waiting in patience and in hope for the Lord's return.

Paul instructs us in this very truth to encourage us to remain hopeful with an eternal perspective in mind. Paul himself longed to be reunited with Christ Jesus, but knew that remaining in the world was more beneficial for everyone around him. "I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body" ( Philippians 1:23-24 ). He could speak this because he knew that waiting patiently did not mean waiting passively. He knew that by remaining in this world meant salvation for those he came in contact with. He was so convinced of this that he exclaimed, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain" ( Philippians 1:20 ), in other words, for me to go on living in this body means that people would see Christ and be forever changed.

While we wait in patience, it is important to understand the reason behind it so we don't lose hope. Peter explained these things to his brethren who were looking for the Lord's return, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" ( II Peter 3:9 ). He went on to say, "Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation... ( II Peter 3:15 ). And so it is necessary for us to keep this in remembrance while we wait for Jesus to return. He is not willing that any should perish and so in His grace he waits for others to come to him. Since he has commissioned us for this specific purpose, he is waiting on us to fulfill this great commission, in order that he might come back and redeem a full and powerful church.

So hope is necessary for life, hope with patience will keep us focused on the task at hand. A few of Paul's concluding thoughts in the book of Romans seem very fitting for today's thoughts, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" ( Romans 15:13 ). Today it is my prayer that you rejoice in the hope to which you were called. May you experience the peace that only God can bring and may you abound in the power of the Holy Spirit to be Christ in this world, amen!

Isn't is amazing that part of our redemption was the total restoration of all things. Jesus came to get everything back that was sold into slavery at the fall. Adam plunged everything lock, stock and barrel into death and decay, this included creation. But since that time, creation is waiting expectantly for the sons of God to be revealed ( Romans 8:19 ) so that it will be liberated from bondage along with mankind ( Romans 8:21 ).

Through faith in Jesus, we have been redeemed. Which means Jesus purchased us with his precious blood and brought us restoration with God. The idea of redemption was not a new thing, in the Old Testament a person could redeem a slave, in which they were enabled to repurchase or buy them back to exist once again in their household. In the New Testament, our redemption is synonymous with both deliverance from sin and freedom from sin's captivity. Jesus purchased our freedom through his sacrifice upon the cross and because of it we are completely free from everything that held us in chains before this time. This redemption by Jesus was foretold back in the garden and since then mankind and creation looked forward to fulfillment of this promise. Through acceptance of this gift, by faith we have been restored to God's household. We are now called his children and we are blameless before him just as if the garden and Adam's trespass had never existed. Galatians tells us that through Jesus we now belong to the promise given to Abraham. "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" ( Galatians 3:26-29 ).

Just like creation we long to be restored in bodily form to our original state. However, on this earth we are waiting for full redemption. Right now we have receive a part of it. We have been given a new born again spirit as a down payment to our physical redemption that is coming very soon. "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-to the praise of his glory" ( Ephesians 1:13-14 ).The Holy Spirit was given to us as our guarantee that we would see full redemption. Our new spirit is the part of us that testifies that we are God's children ( Romans 8:16 ). And if we are his children then we are his heirs ( Romans 8:17 ). The Holy Spirit operating in the sons and daughters of God on this earth, testifies to the rest of creation that it will see fulfillment of God's promise as well. Currently we have only received the first fruits of this redemption, but as the old saying goes, 'the best is yet to come!'

Paul goes onto say in Romans 8, "For in this hope we were saved..." ( Romans 8:24 ). Today, I am thankful to have received a down payment of my coming bodily redemption. Peter tells us "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect" ( I Peter 1:18-19 ). In the cleansing act of this blood you have been justified and redeemed. Through the Holy Spirit you have been given everything needed to navigate this world. Creation is rejoicing in the fact that you are a child of God. Today, my this revelation of your precious redemption change your life, Amen!

Paul's directive to be joyful, patient and faithful in the midst of daily struggles seems like a hard pill to swallow. However, this charge comes directly on the heels of instruction to serve the Lord continually out of spiritual fervor and passion for Him. When we are walking after the Spirit and living out of our relationship to Him then these things will naturally occur in our lives because each one of these is a fruit of the spirit. These fruits are His characteristics and traits, so these characteristics in our lives are a byproduct of our relationship to Christ. As we become more and more like him we start resembling His character on a daily basis.

We are to be joyful in hope. When our hope is placed Jesus then being joyful in all things is easy because we know the hope to which we were called. I Peter says "In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade" ( I Peter 1:3-4 ). As born again believers, we know the hope that we have through Christ. Our future in heaven is secure in him by evidence of his resurrection. "Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls" ( I Peter 1:8-9 ). Just knowing that one day we will be reunited with Christ is reason enough to be joyful in all things. This inexpressible and glorious joy should be evident to everyone around because of the hope we have in Christ.

Secondly we are to be patient in affliction. Being patient is a wonderful characteristic to have. It is a quality of suffering with fortitude while enduring wrongs and trials at the hands of the world. James tells us that we are to "consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" ( James 1:2-4 ). The King James Bible says it this way, "the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing" ( James 1:3-4 KJV ). The work of patience in our lives produces maturity and completion in our faith. This is why we can be patient in affliction, because we know the result of the trial will not destroy us but rather help us grow and mature in the Lord.

Next we are to be faithful in prayer. James tells us that "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" ( James 5:16 ). Through Christ Jesus we are completely righteous which means when we pray, it is powerful and effective. This is why Paul tells us to be faithful in prayer because we know that we are releasing God's power on this earth when we pray.  Jesus told the disciples "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours" ( Mark 11:24 ). When we pray in accordance with God's will then we can rest assured that the answer is yes to whatever we ask. Paul gave us an encouraging word in Romans 8 concerning this and praying in agreement to God's will, "we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" ( Romans 8:28 ). Since we are called to His purpose we can pray knowing that it is effective and will work out for our good.

Joy, patience and faithfulness are all fruit of the Spirit. We can operate in all of these things because they are characteristics of God and have been deposited into our born again spirits. We can let them flow through us simply by living by His spirit and renewing our minds to the truth of His word. May this word bless you and may your fruit look like His characteristics today, amen.