Don't Throw Grace Under the Bus

 

I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

Something to always remember when reading the book of Hebrews, is that it was written primarily for those who were considering leaving the faith and returning to Judaism.

 

With that in mind let’s read from Heb 12:14,15, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: 15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;

 

As we heard last time peace and holiness only coms from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. In verse 15 we are  told to carefully guard the concept of salvation by grace, through God’s gift of faith.

 

To return to the keeping of the Law as a condition of salvation simply stirs up that root of bitterness that dogs the person who relies on his good works for salvation. That root is summed up with these words, “Have I done enough,” or if I am obeying God so well, why are all these bad things happening to me. “

 

One can see how proponents of salvation by works can stir up doubt in the troops, especially as they face persecution, some may fall for it returning to Judaism and becoming defiled as they throw God’s grace under the bus.

Carefully guard the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith as spelled out in Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word

Saddle Up!

 

I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

Heb 12:14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:

 

When I see that word pursue, I get a picture of a posse forming in one of those old western movies! So let’s saddle up and get on the trail of these two things that try to elude us; Peace with others and holiness with God.

 

In a sense, peace and holiness are like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid….they are inseparable. And we ought to pursue them for the sake of all people!

 

True and lasting peace with God and others is only found in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ! 2 Co 5:19 tells us “that God was in Christ reconciling (we could say making peace with) the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”

 

And holiness, (sinlessness) is also only found through faith in Christ! Heb 10:10 By that will we have been sanctified (made holy) through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

 

So with Heb 12:14 ringing in our ears, let us saddle up and ever keep the Great Commission before us!

 

Mt 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

 

The Gospel! Man’s only hope for peace and holiness! (Let’s saddle up and get on it!

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word

The Postures of Prayer

 

I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

Heb 12:12 Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees,

 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

 

These two verses deal with the matter of prayer! The typical posture of prayer is on our knees, (humility and acknowledgment of the Lordship of Jesus in our lives) with the hands lifted up to heaven. (I get the picture of the universal sign of acknowledged surrender!)

 

Don’t forget, whenever you see the word “therefore” in Scripture, you need to go back a couple of verses and see what the “therefore” is “there for.”

 

In this case, we have just been taken to the woodshed by the stinging pointing out of our sin by the Holy Spirit. Do we wail away like a freshly spanked child or do we face the music and do something about our sins?

 

No! We pray! We take our sins to the cross, receive God’s forgiveness and with the help of God, seek to live out corrective action. (Go and sin no more!)

 

To ignore our sin is to misplace the issue, it’s like trying to walk with a dislocated hip or knee. That’s just not going to work! Rather come to God in a spirit of humility and surrender and confess your sins. It is the pathway to peace!

 

2Co 7:10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word

More On Chastisement

 

I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

Every Holy Spirit attempt to convict us of our sin is a trip to God's woodshed. Let us be open to His correction.

Last time, we started talking about chastisement, or let’s call it our little trips to God’s woodshed. The word chastise means to correct. and the word rebuke means to tell a fault. Let’s see how these definitions fit as we re-read this portion of scripture:

 

Heb 12:5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening (correction) of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked (told a fault) by Him;

 6 For whom the LORD loves He chastens, (corrects) And scourges (flogs, which are stinging rebukes, (telling of faults by the conviction of the Holy Spirit if you will) every son whom He receives."

 7 If you endure chastening, (correction) God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? (correct)

 8 But if you are without chastening, (correction) of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.

 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?

 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened (corrected) us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.

 11 Now no chastening (correction) seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained (the word means to practice nude, whoa, didn’t see that word coming! The comparison being made to Greek athletes who often worked out with little or no clothing as  part of their training process is. The goal of this training was athletic excellence, and the application for us is to empty ourselves of self (naked before God, with the goal of being open to correction and thereby  obtaining the peaceable fruit of righteousness.

 

Bottom line is don’t go looking at every painful physical occurrence in your life as God’s chastisement! Rather bare your soul to the Holy Spirit, look for His stinging  rebukes of unconfessed sin, and deal with them in accordance with 1 Jn 1:9, producing the peaceable fruit of righteousness.

 

 

1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word

Chastisement Part 1

 

I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

Our reading today is a little lengthy, but it deals thoroughly with the idea of the Lords chastening of His children.  Please note the number of times that the concept of fatherly discipline is brought up!

 

Heb 12:5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;

 6 For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives."

 7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?

 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.

 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?

 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.

 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

 

By my count, I have 11 times that fatherly discipline is brought up. Seems to me that God wants us to understand what constitutes divine chastening and to learn to embrace it.

 

We’ll delve a little deeper into this subject next time, in the meantime I caution you to not drive yourself crazy looking for every misstep of yours or mine as opportunities for God to take us to the woodshed.

 

We are not saved by grace to live in constant fear of the punishment of God, but we are saved for a journey, a journey on the way to spiritual maturity, the fullness of which will be realized when He calls us home.

 

And God’s loving discipline is a vital part of that journey.

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word

Are You Lacking Joy?

 

I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

Heb 12:2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

 

Let’s talk about joy today! Joy to the world, the Lord has come, and one of the reasons He came was to give you and I a joyous life. Unfortunately we often seek to find our joy in the material things of this world and we miss the boat!

 

The key to a joyous life is found in this simple line from Hebrews 12:2, “for the joy set before Him.” Jesus had a job to do, it was “set before Him” by the Father, and He did it! That was the key to His joy, and it’s the key to yours and mine as well.

 

Yes, it cost Him the pain and the shame of the cross, but He endured it and is now seated at the right hand of God!

 

As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, saved by grace through faith, God has set joy fulfilling works for you along the path of your redeemed life as asserted in Eph 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

 

Look for those works today, God gave you the DNA (physical and spiritual) to handle them that you may enter into the same kind of joy that Jesus experienced.

 

As you and I use our giftedness (talent) in the kingdom, we enter into the joy of the Lord, a joy that was promised to the faithful servants in the parable of the talents!

 

It was not just a “well done thy good and faithful servant” “enter into the joy of your lord.'

 

Are you lacking joy in your life. You won’t find it turning inward, but it is yours for the taking as you look outward, for those opportunities to love and serve that God will bring your way today.

 

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word

No More Face Plants

 

I’m Duane Matz and welcome to Today’s Living Word.

 

Heb 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

 

Having just finished the “faith hall of fame” chapter of the Bible which recounted the exploits of the likes of Abraham, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, David, Samson, and others! People who “out of weakness were made strong.” (Heb 11:34)

 

We are encouraged to follow their example of reliance upon God. It’s not that we have some sort of spiritual cloud of departed saints swarming around us and cheering us on. (They have bigger fish to fry in the presence of the Lord) but rather it is their examples found in scripture that urge us onward to finish the race as they did!

 

So cast off every weight, every burden, toss it onto the broad shoulders of Christ, for He cares for you! (1 Pet 5:7)

Get your feet untangled from those sins that will trip you up. If you’ve ever tripped over a vine and face planted while walking in the woods you know how sneaky sin can be. You get untangled when you give those sins to Jesus! 1Pe 2:24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree,

 

Finally, run the race with endurance. Finish! Keep casting off those pesky  burdens, keep untangling your feet and one day you will be with the cloud of witnesses in the presence of the Lord!

 

No more face plants, and burden free!

I’m Duane Matz and that’s Today’s Living Word