Good Morning Friends,
Today we have three examples in scripture of the work of the Holy Spirit in prompting the work of God. The first is from Amos who prophesied to the people of Israel even though he was a lay person, a herdsman. The second is from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians about the spiritual blessing of being part of a body of believers who share the Gospel and develop their brains spiritually. And the third is from the Book of Mark with the disciples being blessed to go out and witness. They combine in a way to make it clear that one of the obvious ways one can confirm the work of the Holy Spirit in us is if we are sharing the Good News of Christ whether we are lay believers or trained ministers. This prompts today’s question. So, What Does It Mean To Be A Christian?
Scripture: And Amaziah said to Amos, ‘O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, earn your bread there, and prophesy there; but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.’ Then Amos answered Amaziah, ‘I am no prophet, nor a prophet’s son; but I am a herdsman, and a dresser of sycomore trees, and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, “Go, prophesy to my people Israel.”
Amos 7:12-15 (NRSV)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance towards redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 1:3-14 (NRSV)
He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. He said to them, ‘Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.’ So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
Mark 6:7-13 (NRSV)
Message: Theology is hard labor as it requires us to think. In some ways it is like the work of athletes in the Olympics. People do not become professional athletes or Olympians simply because they have God-given athletic abilities. They need to be trained in how to use and develop these skills. In fact, there are some athletes who did not have the depth of natural abilities who achieved greatness in sports through hard discipline and hours of repetition. We also know of those who had great abilities who flopped because they did not practice. The brain is the biggest muscle in the body. It has enormous capacity. Even the wisest person only uses a small percentage of one’s mental ability which tells us that we were created for a much higher purpose. This brain must be exercised to bring out its power. However, there is a tendency to be lazy and use just enough of one’s brain to get by. One will never become great with this attitude. And our great God has made us to reflect His glory and to be great in Him. So, let us realize that the study of the first three chapters of Ephesians helps in the proper development of our spiritual brain. After Paul introduces himself to the Ephesians as an apostle called by the will of God. He is writing to the “saints” in Ephesus. The word “saint” means a person who has been set apart, in other words, “called.” This is the writing of a called apostle to a called church. Paul begins the body of the letter in verse three in which he acknowledges the blessedness of God. We cannot properly “bless” God as He is blessed in His nature. The best we can do is to recognize His blessedness. The one who is blessed is God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. This means that we understand God the Father in relation to His Son. We cannot know the Father except through and by the Son. Then Paul reminds us that it is this God who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. This tells us that this blessing is uniquely Christian. He is not referring to carnal blessings like food, raiment, shelter, or earthly riches here. This does not mean that God cannot or does not bless by carnal means. What it does mean is that the heavenly blessing in Christ is far superior to these other things. This blessing is heavenly; it is spiritual, and it is in Christ alone. We should also notice the word “us.” This blessing is not for everyone. It is for the Christian church alone. Paul reminds us that those who believe after we came to faith, we were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. This is not a theoretical concept as though the Holy Spirit works invisibly behind the scenes to conform us to Christ. It is taught as an experiential reality as well. It is by this we know we are His. This filling with the Spirit serves as an earnest of the full inheritance we are to receive. In the world, when one buys a house, an earnest payment is given to the previous owner which pledges one’s intent to buy the house. It isn’t the full amount, yet it is part of the price. Sometimes in real-estate sales fall through, and in some cases the earnest money is forfeited. But not so with God who is always faithful to His pledge. If there is any fault, it is ours.
And So, the Holy Spirit gives us that assurance that so long as we are in Christ, we are saved. We already own the inheritance. We are only waiting for the fullness of time to occupy it. To this Paul again praises the glory of God’s grace. Friends, to be a Christian means that we encourage believers to embrace humility and follow Jesus’ example of selflessness and obedience, leading to transformed lives and relationships that glorify God. Today, if you’re faithfully following God, doing what God wants in your life, don’t get discouraged by those who would seek to be critical of you. Godliness is shown not by discovering God’s will, but by obeying and following God. When God called Amos to go speak to Israel, when was his faithfulness seen. It wasn’t when he knew what God wanted him to do, but when he DID what God wanted him to. God said GO, and Amos WENT. Compare that with the example of Jonah, who when God said GO ran in the other direction. It is not knowledge that is the key to faithfulness, but obedience. Many of us have a lot of knowledge about what it means to follow God. But it does not matter how much we know. It matters what we do. We have been blessed for a purpose. The way to win is with Christ.
Pray we are called to a face to face intimate and personal relationship of support, encouragement and accountability. Pray we realize that we are not to go it alone. Pray we realize that we have been given authority that God keeps recharging when we are called to a purpose of sharing the Good News and obey that calling. Pray that we keep following the plan and practice what we have learned. Pray we realize that we are Ambassadors on a Mission for Christ. Pray we proclaim the truth. Pray we make a renewed commitment to God today, that we are committed to going wherever he leads, doing whatever he calls us to do.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 