Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

~Romans 1:24-25

As you read through the Bible—and I hope you do regularly—there are some events that can be hard to relate to in our modern world. Especially in the Old Testament. I think of Korah and his fellow power-mongers rebelling against God only to be swallowed up alive by the ground (Numbers 16). Or a talking donkey setting straight a man of God gone astray (Numbers 22). Then there’s Jonah getting swallowed by a huge fish so he would repent of his disobedience to evangelize his enemies (Jonah). Then, when we get to the New Testament and the letters to the first-century Church, it’s easy to compartmentalize the events and messages into, “Well, that was a long time ago—this stuff’s not relevant in 2024.” 

Friend, all we have to do is read any letter from the Apostle Paul to see that nothing has changed in human society. Not sure if they were having parades or not, but people were giving in to sexual passions contrary to God’s order (Romans 1:26-27). Unwanted babies were being killed for convenience and prosperity’s sake, whether sacrificed to the fiery arms of a false god or abandoned to die. Romans 1:28-32 is one of many succinct lists of depravity “back then”: wickedness, greed, envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossip, slander, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, disobedient to parents, untrustworthy, unfeeling, unmerciful, and inventors of evil. That about covers it—and we’re all listed in there somewhere. 

Humanity’s bottom-line sin thinking is this: “I don’t need to worship God. I’m in charge of my own life.” But then—and now—something will always be placed on the personal altar of worship—the earth, the stars, sex, money…sports, alcohol, climate change…self. From the beginning, we were made to worship God. But it didn’t take long for us to want to put ourselves in the place of God (um, just ask Adam and Eve). And as soon as we believe this hissed lie that “you can be like God,” it’s so easy to give in to the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life (1 John 2:15-17). It’s been happening since the dawn of Man and continues through today. There’s no sin or false god or temptation that’s new. And we all sin (whether gossip or adultery, drunkenness or greed, slander or murder) and fall short the perfect worship and living that God requires (Romans 3:23). 

And praise the Lord, just as throughout the New Testament, the message of hope has not changed either: But God, rich in mercy, sent Jesus to live the perfect life we could not, pay the penalty we deserve, and rise again in victory over sin and death. He traded our sin for His perfect righteousness, so we don’t have to be slaves to sin anymore (Isaiah 53:5; John 3:16; Romans 5:8; 1 Peter 3:18). In surrender to God (through Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit) as the sole recipient of our worship, the lies of the enemy fall apart. The Lord then and now is patient for our repentance—He is the still the same as He ever was. His kindness leads us to Him, and His grace is freely offered. Won’t you to give up the gods and ways of this broken world and give yourself over to Him?

Lord, thank You for Your kindness, patience, and grace. Although sin has been present since the garden, Your victory gives us power over it—and one day, we’ll be completely free of it. May those who are shackled by the lies of the enemy surrender to Jesus now…so they’ll never be the same.

If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions.

~ 1 Timothy 6:3-4

By and large, U.S. citizens have more access to food than most people around the world. There are grocery stores, specialty stores, and/or convenience stores within a stone’s throw of most of us—not to mention fast-food restaurants on every other (sometimes every) corner. Our country has a robust “food stamp” program (SNAP), spending over $112 billion per year¹, and public schools serve on average 42 million² meals per school day. And yet, according to the CDC, over 40% of adults and 20% of children are obese. (Not to mention that over 60% of Americans have a food-related chronic disease, despite the $4.3 trillion spend on U.S. healthcare.)

There is ample food being eaten, yet we are severely malnourished. The food is made to taste delicious, but it is, in fact, ultimately poisoning us to death.

Similarly, as you drive through U.S. cities and even small towns, there are churches of every denomination (and non) dotting the main streets. There are big fancy churches, quaint high-steepled chapels, and congregations that meet in converted strip-mall spaces. And yet—even among self-proclaiming “evangelicals”—almost half say that Jesus was a great teacher, but He was not God³. And although a whopping 70% of the U.S. population claims to be “Christian”, only 9% say they have a Biblical worldview, and 58% believe that if a person is good enough or does enough good things, they can earn their way into Heaven.⁴.

There is ample “faith food” being eaten (online, via podcasts, and in buildings), yet we are severely malnourished.Christians are being served up tasty morsels by pulpit chefs—food that tastes sweet when being consumed, but has no Biblical value. We are being bloated with empty calories of cultural lies, while we’re starved of the sustenance of the Gospel—ultimately poisoning us to death.

What about you, friend? What faith food are you consuming? Is it the pure, undefiled Word of God? Or are your itching ears being scratched with Sunday-morning Ted Talks and feel-good gatherings from which you walk away with a confident “I’m-in-control” attitude (2 Timothy 4:3-4)? There is so much delicious spiritual junk food out there. It’s hard today to stand firm on Truth—and it will get harder. But we must (Ephesians 6:10-20).

So, what does a healthy Christian diet consist of, one that nourishes our spirit? Our Bibles have all the right recipes! It’s imperative that believers know God’s Word and its power (Proverbs 30:5; Psalm 119; 2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:12), so we can recognize the lies (from YouTube and our church’s pulpit). We must meet together so we’re not that straggler ripe for the enemy’s attack (Hebrews 10:24-25). We must recognize that all the little-g gods of our life will never fill the God-shaped hole in our soul. And that it’s only through the work of Jesus—not our own—that we are reconciled with God, made righteous in His sight, and have the hope of Heaven (Romans 5; Colossians 1:19-20; Ephesians 2:1-10). And we must daily surrender to the Holy Spirit, acknowledging that we are not, in fact, God (1 Corinthians 2:1-16).

Although there is constant controversy and contradiction in dietary recommendations that can be overwhelming, spiritual nutrition is simple and undisputed: Worship in a church that stands firmly on God’s Word (all of it—no additions or redactions). Read the Bible for yourself, every day. Yield to the Holy Spirit living in you. Stay connected with fellow believers. So, let’s step out in Truth and be nourished.

Lord, may we walk in Your Truth, being fully satisfied with Your glorious food for our souls.

For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.”

~Romans 10:11

The book of Romans is amazing—and Paul is a master lawyer whose arguments are brilliant and irrefutable. This whole letter to the church at Rome drops one truth bomb after another. In fact, you could sit in each chapter for weeks (or months or even years) with transformational results. I’m gonna try to summarize in a few words (insert eye roll here).

For nine chapters Paul extols the miraculous and incomprehensible sovereignty of God, and that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone—and that it has been an unmerited gift resulting from faith even from God’s first promises to Abraham. This latter argument was being made to contrast the religious Jews who believed that their righteousness was earned, based on their “holy” outward activity and the Law. But the Law was given to show us that we could never keep it! See chapter 4, but also the rest of the letter. Paul talks of God’s wrath for those who reject Him (chapters 1 & 2). He hammers that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (3:23). But Jesus came as a propitiation for us, a payment that satisfied God’s wrath we deserve (3:24-26)—even while we were still sinners and living as lord our own life (see chapter 5)! And when we experience this gift of grace, we are transformed, free from the shackles of our past sinful nature and made to walk in this freedom (chapter 6). Although we’ll struggle with sin, even after surrendering the Lord (chapter 7), there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus (8:1)—we have the Spirit of God living in us to empower us to walk in our new identity: children of God and heirs with Christ (8:17). What’s more, for those of us who believe, nothing and no one can separate us from God’s love (8:31-39). Then Chapter 9 puts forth the equally valid and not-contradictory justice and mercy of God (mind-blown emoji inserted here), and then he circles back to God’s sovereignty in it all. 

Whew. With that totally insufficient flyover, we come to chapter 10. Because as Paul talks about the Jewish people and the Gentiles, and how we’re all without-excuse sinners due God’s unimaginable wrath, it’s easy to think, “Well, this gift of grace can’t possibly be for me—I’m beyond hope.” Friend, that’s the whole point of Paul’s exhortation: Yes, all have sinned…but ALL who call on the name of the Lord will be saved (10:12-13)! He reaches back to Isaiah (10:11) and Joel (10:13) in the Old Testament to remind his readers that this has always been God’s plan. Are you part of “all” and “whoever”? YES, YOU ARE. You can call on Jesus to be Lord and Savior of your life and be saved—made new and free. All means all.

Hand in hand with that promise is God’s promise in these verses that this prayer—this cry—to the Lord will always be answered with a “yes”. Always. “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (10:8). [Note, please, that this confession is not just “Jesus is Lord”—even the demons believe that (James 2:19). Rather, it’s a proclamation that “Jesus is Lord of my life.”] 

We may pray for healing, for circumstances to change, for provision…and God may answer us with a yes. But He may also say, “No” or “Not now” or “I’ve got something so much better for you in store, but you just can’t see it in this current ‘no’ season.” But the prayer of surrender to Jesus—the request for salvation through grace alone by faith alone, no activity required…this prayer is always a YES. Yes means yes.

Are you far from God, trying to be “good enough” for Him through right activity? Or are you far from God and believe the distance you’ve created is simply insurmountable and there’s no hope for someone like you? Oh, beloved, you are included in the “all” if you simply cry out to Jesus to be your Lord. And, per His promise, when you do this, His answer will be “Yes”—and you’ll be changed forever.

Sovereign God, thank You that in the outcry for salvation—reconciliation to You through the propitiation and righteousness of Jesus—that ALL means ALL and Your YES means YES. May even one reading this recognize the beautiful mercy and grace in this, and surrender to You right now.

But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

~1 John 1:7

The Bible makes it very clear: We’re all sinners (Romans 3:23). In fact, we’re not sinners because we sin…we sin because we’re sinners. If you don’t want to take this truth from God’s Word, just watch a toddler for, say, five minutes. No one has to teach them to lie, be selfish, or lash out with verbal or physical retribution when things aren’t going exactly how they want it. And whether or not you are a follower of Christ, you know that you know this is accurate—God reveals Himself and His law by His creation and our conscience (Romans 1:18-20).

In this sin, we are separated from God. There is a chasm that we humans—throughout history and in every corner of the globe—have tried to make our way across. Every world religion puts forth a plan of action to accomplish this—there is work to be done, sacrifices to be made, even money to be paid. Sin makes us filthy in God’s eyes, so we do everything we can to wash ourselves clean enough for His holy presence. It’s so very exhausting…and it’s never enough. We step out of the bath and fall immediately into another mud puddle.

Oh, but God and His grace! Through Jesus Christ, we don’t have to “do” to span that unspannable chasm. Jesus lived the perfect life we could not live, took the wrath of God meant for us, died the death we deserve, and rose again in victory—extending to us both the forgiveness of sin and giving us the righteousness of Christ Himself. We are made clean.

Think about this mind-blowing truth for a minute. We cannot wash ourselves clean—not through good works or penance or payment. We could bathe in clean hot water for days, so to speak, only to come out just as filthy (and really pruney). Friend, only the blood of Jesus can accomplish what we cannot…only by this bloodbath can we be washed as white as snow and reconciled with God (Isaiah 1:18; Psalm 51:7; Revelation 7:14).

In 1876, Robert Lowry penned a hymn called “Nothing but the Blood” that eloquently expresses this Gospel truth…and the magnificence of this bloodbath. (There are 6 verses and the refrain, but here are just a few.)

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Refrain:
Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Heavenly Father, thank You for making a way back into Your presence through the precious blood of Jesus—the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Thank You that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone, not by our efforts.

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

~ 2 Corinthians 4:4

It’s so easy to look around at our culture and shake our heads in disbelief at the utter depravity, chaos, and decay. Although, we shouldn’t be too surprised, as there was ample corruption and wickedness throughout time and Christendom—see, for example, Romans 1:24-32. But today seems different, doesn’t it? Internet-driven pervasiveness. There is 24/7 news (and its ridiculously fast cycle of turnover to keep us not thinking about anything too long or deeply) and ubiquitous social media platforms, which allow us to see and know detailed happenings from around the globe—even though they have no value for our lives other than to distract and generate intense anxiety, angst, and anger. Oh yeah, our socials also let us scrutinize other people’s filtered lives (and faces) ad nauseum, amping up the condemning hiss in our ears telling us how less-than our own lives and faces and bodies are.

Oh, friend, please hear me. As followers of Jesus Christ, transformed by grace through faith, we must see unsaved people in this fallen world for what they are: Lost and lied to. The god of this world—Satan—is the father of lies (John 8:44). He and his minions know their time is short. So, they are lying on every level of society, in every corner of the earth, convincing people to focus on self—their own satisfaction, comfort, fame. He knows that these paths only lead to destruction—that’s his point and purpose and hope! From power-lusting world leaders serving as puppets of mass destruction, to the would-be-beautiful 62-year-old woman at the grocery store whose face is utterly deformed from countless “I-must-look-like-a-filter” injections-gone-wrong, to the teenager who is convinced that cutting off her breasts is the key to ok-ness, to the drug or alcohol or porn addict who is shackled to scratching an unattainable itch…it’s all the same. See, the enemy of your soul doesn’t care how he gets you. He’ll use whatever lie will work to bait your hook. And his tackle box is overflowing with all kinds of colorful and deadly lures these days.

As believers, we worship weekly (or more), singing praise to the God who saved us and listening to (hopefully) a gospel-centered message. We recall with gratitude how we were pulled from the pigsty into the arms of Jesus. And yes, we pray for the lost to be saved. But then we walk out of church and turn on the news or scroll Instagram to immediately get ticked off at leaders, news anchors, and “Karens” out there…and we somehow forget: They are lost! They are responding exactly as lost people would to the lies of the enemy! They are—just as we once were—the walking dead (Ephesians 2:1-10). 

Oh, sweet friend, you and I must change our filter when looking around at the brokenness. We must recognize the poisonous lies for what they are and remember from whom they originate. And we must replace our own responsive judgments, anger, and contempt with grace, mercy, and love. Most importantly, we must share the Truth—the Good News of the gospel. The only way to be truly satisfied and at peace is to surrender all to Jesus Christ—He is the Truth. Someone once broke through the lies we were believing and living “by giving us reason for their hope” (1 Peter 3:15). So, how can we now stand in judgment of those who haven’t yet heard? How can we leave them in their pigsty?

Lord, forgive me for judging the lostness and brokenness of this world as if I were never lost and broken. May I truly view others through the grace of my own salvation and Your desire for all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). May I be the conduit of Your Truth.

For what does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

~Romans 4:3

I love to study Paul’s letter to the Romans. In his brilliant lawyer-ese throughout this letter, Paul makes solid arguments—often submitting the opposing questions before they’re asked—and then, every time, slam-dunks the close. In chapters 1 through 3, Paul clearly demonstrates that all have sinned and fall short of God’s holy requirements, and that no one can be justified by good works. We cannot earn righteousness because it’s impossible to keep every law perfectly…but, in fact, justification is a gift of grace through the blood of Jesus. 

And because these stubborn Jewish leaders he was talking to liked to claim their acceptance by God because they were descendants of Abraham, Paul uses their very argument against them by quoting Genesis: “Abraham believed God, and it (his belief) was credited to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). If there was such a thing as a mic in first-century Rome, it would have been dropped. Yep, this was a crystal-clear statement that justification is by faith—not works. In fact, Paul takes the financial concept of “credited” and runs with it (using this term 9 times in chapter 4 alone). Let’s take a closer look…

The term “credit” or “credited” denotes a one-way transaction. I have money, you have an empty-ish bank account. I deposit my money into your account, and now you have been credited what was mine and is now yours. You did nothing but gladly accept the new balance that pops up when you log in to your bank account. Paul was reminding the rule-pushing Jews, much to their chagrin, that their “father Abraham” didn’t actually DO anything to earn or deserve God’s righteousness credited to him. (And in verses 6-8, Paul also uses David as an Old Testament example for them, which you can study from Psalm 32:1-2.)

“Believing in Him who justifies the ungodly,” Paul summarizes in verse 5, “his faith is credited as righteousness.” Pausing here to tackle another oft-used term of our friend Paul, which is important to understand in the whole “crediting” concept:justification. This is used about 30 times in Romans, and it’s a legal term that declares the two aspects of Jesus’ work on our behalf: 1) It’s a pardon from the guilt and penalty of our sin; and 2) it’s the crediting of Christ’s righteousness to our account.

OK, so what’s this word-study exercise all about? Well, it delivers amazing, astounding, glorious news! When we surrender to Jesus as Lord and Savior, we accept the free gift of grace that He offers to forgive our sins…by His death He paid the penalty on our behalf, taking the wrath we deserve. We are forgiven and rescued! But, as those TV infomercials used to shout, “Wait! There’s more!” Not only are we forgiven of our sin—past, present, and future—we are credited the righteousness of Christ!

Going back to the whole banking analogy (which I’m borrowing from our pastor, who borrowed it from another pastor): If our massive, unpayable debt is cancelled, no cops are waiting to take us to jail, and we’re able to waltz out of the bank debt-free. Yay! But we’d still be walking out flat broke—we’d still have to get to work and start earning. But Jesus didn’t just rescue us from God’s righteous wrath. He credited to us His righteousness! In other words, the gazillionaire who paid off your proverbial debt also gave you access to everything he has—in fact, he adopted you as his child! So, now you will even receive an unfathomable inheritance one day.

Friend, THIS IS THE GOSPEL. By grace, through faith in Jesus—not by our works—our sin debt (yesterday’s, today’s, and tomorrow’s) is forgiven. We can’t earn it or get credit for our own efforts. But, in our belief we are in Christ, and the righteousness of Christ is credited to us. So, when God looks at us, He sees the perfection, beauty, and purity of His Son. So, what do you say? Are you ready to take the credit?

Heavenly Father, I cannot earn my way back to You. Thank You for sending Jesus to pay the penalty I owe, taking the wrath I deserve, and—amazingly—crediting to me His righteousness. May I never take this for granted.

Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

~Galatians 2:16

Have you ever done something that you thought was a very good thing, only to discover it was not good at all? Or maybe you’ve created a pattern (or patterns) in your life that you 100% believe are getting you what you really want/need…only to later determine that they were actually harmful to you and/or others. You may even have been standing firm on the validity of your actions in righteous indignation that what you were doing was honoring to God. However, some wiser and more experienced person came along to gently share with you the errors of your ways, redirecting you with unveiled truths.

This has been my experience in the midst of all my recent health and medical revelations. I won’t go into the annoying details, but suffice it to say that I certainly didn’t think that eating ½ bag of spinach for lunch every day would actually be harmful to me. Or that my dislike for meat (and therefore lack of protein) has also been contributing to my physical decay. In fact, before I saw the evidence, I probably would have mocked you if you told me I was “eating poorly”. After all, I was getting accolades from others regarding how it all looked from the outside. But with medical substantiation in hand and insights from wise and learned medical counsel, I’ve come to recognize that many of my “good” habits might look good on the surface, but are—in reality and for the long-term—destructive.

Then the spiritual implications of this struck me hard. In fact, it brought me back to the days prior to my total surrender to Jesus as Lord and Savior—days when I believed that doing good things was God-honoring and the key to a positive end-game outcome (especially if my tally of good surpassed the bad). Yep, good works earned my right standing and entry fee to eternal life in heaven. These activities look really good on the surface…they may align with God’s law and His Word. And said actions can make a good impression too, earning accolades from others based on how it all looks from the outside. But, in reality and for the long-term, these good works lead only to destruction. 

Similar to my current health situation, we all need an inside-out transformation Righteousness does not come from our good works—we cannot be “good enough” because the standard is perfection. In order for a holy God to look upon our sinfulness (because we’re all sinners—Romans 3:23) and forgo His wrath against us (because He is just—Romans 5:9), we need the imputed righteousness of Jesus. In other words, the life, death, and victorious resurrection of Jesus paid the penalty for the wrath we deserve. So it’s by His scars (His good deeds) we are healed, rescued, redeemed (Isaiah 53:4-5; 1 Peter 2:24). We’re made new by Him—not by our efforts.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not knocking doing good things in this life—in fact, the Bible is replete with calls to stop with the self-serving depravity and walk according to God’s law (love God and others). But this activity is a response to the grace we’ve been given through Jesus! And we can only rightly do them through the power of the Holy Spirit living in us as believers. 

Are you working (and working and working) to earn the acceptance of God and/or accolades of others? Beloved, stop striving. It’s already been accomplished (John 19:30), and all you have to do is accept the Truth of the Gospel (Titus 3:5-7). Then, you can “get to work” for Him and from victory—doing good out of His love, not to earn it.

Father God, thank You that I don’t have to strive in earning a righteousness worthy of Your perfect standard. Jesus paid it all so that, in Him, I have the gift of eternal life. 

You have encircled me behind and in front, And placed Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot comprehend it.

~Psalm 139:5-6

You know it as well as I do: Satan’s time is short, so the battle for souls is ramping up. Just turn on the news, scroll social media, drive on the highway, or walk through the grocery aisles. Hearts are dark and fools abound—the glory of the incorruptible God has been exchanged for idolatry and worship of self. Truth has been exchanged for lies…and God is giving this depraved culture over to its passions (Romans 1:18-32). 

And as this spiritual war rages, the follower of Jesus Christ must stand firm—daily putting on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20), praying fervently, and staying in community. Because, friend, the fiery arrows of our enemy are relentless.

But we are fighting from victory—not for it. And, what’s more, no matter where we find ourselves on the battlefield, we are never alone. Unlike that lone soldier who finds himself separated from his company, left on his own to combat the enemy on all sides, we who are in Christ Jesus are always surrounded by God and indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

So, as challenging (and exhausting) as the battles against Satan, the world system, and our own flesh can be, the wonderful knowledge of God’s steadfast presence emboldens, empowers, and enables us to fight on. And if you’re thinking (as I do too often), “But I’m in pain (emotional, physical, mental), I’m getting pummeled, and I sure feel like I’m fighting alone!” This is a lie.The truth is, indeed, wonderful. So, let’s review.

We can start with David’s beautifully graphic description in Psalm 139 of God’s presence. “You have encircled me behind and in front, and placed Your hand upon me” (v 5). This blows David’s mind (v6)—as it should ours. Then he continues by reminding himself (and us) that we cannot outrun, hide from, or be isolated from God’s presence. His hand is there to lead (v10). And when it seems that the darkness is overwhelming us, David acknowledges that there is no darkness to God—He gives light and is Light (vs 11-12).

The Apostle Paul picks up the mantle in Romans. When we are in Christ—called, justified, redeemed by grace—who can be against us? His answer: Nothing. Not tribulation, trouble, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, or sword. Not death, life, demons, present things, future things. Not heights, depths, or any created thing. Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:31-39).

Friend, you’re never fighting through this dark world alone. Moreover, because God awesomely knit you together, He knows you from eternity past. His thoughts toward you and about you are precious (Psalm 139:13-18). You are His child, and in you—just as you are—He is well pleased.

Isn’t that wonderful?

Thank You, heavenly Father, that You are Sovereign. You are always in control, even when I feel out of control. You are always with me, even when I feel alone. May I always stand firm in these truths.

Therefore, we do not lose heart, but though our outer person is decaying, yet our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

~2 Corinthians 4:16-18

In meditating on these verses from the Apostle Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians, I just love the way it speaks to those of us for whom “outer decay” is a real thing. As my fifth decade marches on (much to my chagrin), it’s actually easier to focus on my daily spiritual renewal—my sanctification journey toward home. When I reluctantly catch my reflection that does not match what my brain thinks I should see, the confident hope of my perfect heavenly body springs up. I can also look around at the utter madness of our clownworld, where right is wrong, up is down, and brokenness seems to be the norm, and I know with certainty that all this is temporal. Eternal sin-free bliss awaits for those of us whose Savior and Lord is Jesus.

But in the past 48 hours of writing this, Paul’s words have been twisted for me in a way that—I hope and pray—will further deepen my faith. Especially as I anchor myself in the other promises of God written in His Word. Let me explain. (And please know that in my writing there is a public confession—because pulling things into the light is what must happen, so the enemy cannot use it against me.) 

See, one of the persistent vulnerabilities through my life has been my weight/food/body. Throughout various seasons of the past, oh 40 years, I’ve been obsessed with eating “right” (i.e., to lose weight) and extremely rigid about exercise, and my day can be made or utterly ruined over the number on the scale. No matter what my husband says, my mirrors all shout, “You’re such a cow.” Again, I say all this to be really real. 

When I surrendered to Jesus at age 30, He freed me from so much—many things markedly changed immediately, and other transformational refinements happened (and continue to) over time. Including this body dysmorphia and food/exercise idolatry of mine. I have had seasons of rest from this battle—usually when the Lord forces my hand (or a leg) with a reminder that He alone deserves the throne of my life. But the world, my own sinful flesh, and Satan find ways to hiss in my ear about it all…incessantly whispering that the outer-self matters, regardless of one’s inner sanctification or closeness to the Lord. So, like all of us, whatever our particular battlefront may be, I fight. I study God’s Word, I stay connected with my church family, and I serve. 

But, given a recent (and truly ironic) diagnosis and lifelong pivot I’m facing, I sit here now losing heart. To Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 4:16, I shake my head in doubt and discouragement. All my efforts to take care of my bodily health—no sugar, no processed foods, no alcohol, no smoking, etc.—have been revealed as irrelevant in many ways. See, my interior is literally decaying. [Note of explanation to those who know me: In trying to determine my source of pain, which has been shown to be a torn hamstring tendon, the scans also found severe osteoporosis and a femoral edema.] There are immediate, short-term treatments I must do (which have their own additional problems), and then there will be long-term life-altering changes for me (which I cannot wrap my head around right now). Praise the Lord, these are not life-threatening—and I know those same scans could have found cancer but did not…however, in my decades-long battle-of-the-body, this new war zone seems paralyzing at the moment. Satan is pointing at my health disciplines with mocking laughter and condemnation. Much like Satan’s words to Eve in the Garden, “Did God really say…?”, as well as his maniacal effort to tempt Jesus in the desert by twisting Scripture (which Jesus wrote!), he’s pointing to God’s promises and hissing, “See, Julianne, God’s lying about your ‘inner person being renewed’—you’re decaying outside and inside! And the verses may say that your affliction is ‘light and momentary’, but you’re in pain now, and the suffering is just going to continue! Ha!” It’s so easy to listen and believe the lies, to give into despair. To lose heart.

So, I’m dragging this into the light. Right now. And, sweet friend, whatever Satan, this broken world, or your own fleshly patterns are dogging you about, join me in the confrontation—drag it into the light too. Let’s take out our Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17), and start an offensive attack. Here are a few to get us started…

• In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ~ 1 Peter 1:6-7

• Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. ~ Romans 5:3-5

• And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. ~ Romans 8:23-26

• But now, this is what the Lord says, He who is your Creator, Jacob, And He who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. ~ Isaiah 43:1-3

• But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:7-9

• You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. ~ Isaiah 26:3

Lord, You are always good, regardless of my circumstance. I cling to Your steadfast promises. I run into the shelter of Your love. And I grab the Truths of Your Word and fight…please strengthen me in this battle. 

They said to one another, “Were our hearts not burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?”

~Luke 24:32

It happened to me again. And if you are an enthusiast of God’s Word, I’m confident that it’s been your experience as well. You know, you’re reading a Bible event—verses you’ve studied once or 20 times before—only to have the Holy Spirit open your eyes to something completely new. This is what happened for me while going through Luke 24:13-35. It’s the account of post-resurrection Jesus appearing to two of His disciples as they were on the road to Emmaus, a town about seven miles from Jerusalem. He just shows up walking near them and casually asks what they’re talking about. He didn’t allow them to recognize Him at first but let them talk about what their experience had been, their perspective on things, and why they were upset. 

These guys, you’ll read, were followers of Jesus, part of His Disciple Group. They were likely among one of the more inner circles, too, because earlier in the day they’d been with the “11 and those who were with them” when some of the women ran in reporting that Jesus had risen. They’d even stuck around to hear from Peter upon his return from the empty tomb with John. Yet, whether they couldn’t believe it, or they were just too upset to stick around to see what happened, they decided to walk away…things hadn’t turned out the way they hoped, so they were outta there.

Now, studying this pivotal event, we typically examine it in terms of (a) another proof-by-witness that Jesus was, fact, resurrected from the dead, and (b) how all the Old Testament Scriptures, “beginning with Moses and with all the Prophets”, are all about Jesus (this is what Jesus explained to them while strolling alongside them). Then, of course, we love how when they get to dinner and are reclined at the table, and Jesus blessed and broke the bread…and bam! They recognize Him and He vanishes. 

Ah, but here’s what the Holy Spirit revealed anew to me: The guys were walking away from Jerusalem (and their fellow believers) when they encountered the Lord. They were sad and disappointed in their experience, expectations unmet. And you know what? Jesus walked with them even as they were walking the wrong direction! He met them right in their hurt and pain. He asked questions. He listened. Then He shared Truth with them—the hope, grace, and love of God—and how Jesus is who the Bible says He is. And this conversation continued still as they kept walking their own way. Remember, they still didn’t recognize Jesus at that point…but they liked this “random guy” after talking with him for a couple of hours, so they invited Him to stay with them because it was getting late. It was then that Jesus revealed Himself to them, their eyes were opened, He disappeared, and they ran back to Jerusalem. 

As believers, we are called to share the good news of the Gospel. But, friend, we must meet people right where they are—even if they’re walking in the wrong direction at the moment. We listen to their hurt, disappointment, unmet expectations. How the pursuits of this world are unfulfilling and exhausting. And we share with them something better—Christ. We love them, care for them, hear them, and share the Truth. Then, as with the two guys on their way to Emmaus, we watch in joy as Jesus reveals Himself to them (1 Corinthians 3:6-9). And then we celebrate with them as they change direction and run toward Home.

Lord, may I see lost people the way You see them—as image-bearers of God, blinded and heart-hardened by sin, this world, and our enemy. May I meet them where they are, accompany them on the road, and help them take their next step toward You.