“Horror” ( Ezekiel 7: 18, KJV ) by Carley Evans

“Horror shall cover them; and shame shall be upon all faces, and baldness upon all their heads.” (Ezekiel 7:18)

“They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed;  their gold and their silver shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord; they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their stomachs, because it is the stumbling block of their iniquity.” (Ezekiel 7:19)

Horror is upon “their whole multitude.” (Ezekiel 7:13) “Destruction cometh; and they shall seek peace, and there shall be none.” (Ezekiel 7:25)

“Now is the end come upon thee, and I will send,” says the Lord of Hosts, “Mine anger upon thee, and will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense upon thee all thine abominations.” (Ezekiel 7:3)

If this coming judgment upon the whole of earth doesn’t give you the shakes, I maintain there’s something wrong with your view of God and of your understanding of the state of mankind. Men worship idols and men “worship the sun,” says God to Ezekiel. “They fill the land with violence.” (Ezekiel 8:16,17)

“I will do unto them after their way, and according to their deserts will I judge them; and they shall know that I Am the Lord.” (Ezekiel 7:27)

Paul writes of the essential problem, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not, I do.” (Romans 7:18-19) He continues with the solution, “Oh wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord. So, then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh, the law of sin. There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 7:24-8:2)

And if that truth doesn’t give you a huge sigh of relief and gratitude to God, then your view of God may be askew.

“We Know And Believe The Love” ( 1 John 4: 16, KJV ) by Carley Evans

One of the saddest personality flaws is the inability to know and believe that you are loved. Janis Joplin had such a personality flaw; she was incapable of believing people loved her. Despite accolades for her music, she lead a barren existence of self-doubt, self-hatred, and abject loneliness. By loneliness, I am not referring to solitude, but to that feeling of complete isolation in the midst of shouting people — people shouting adoration and respect and yes — love. The loneliest moments for Janis were likely those in the midst of her public admirers. Janis also unfortunately did not know and believe the love of those closest to her, no matter how they tried to convince her. She found herself totally unlovable.

The author of 1 John writes that “we know and believe the love that God has to us. God is love.”

What an amazing statement — read it again. “We know and believe the love that God has to [or toward] us.” Why? Because “God is love.” And if we know and believe God, then we know and believe His love. Like Paul reminds, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) “What shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (Romans 8:35) Essentially, assures Paul, nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.” (Romans 8:39)

Do not insult God. Do not hold yourself in such low esteem that you fail to realize God is love. Know and believe the love God has toward you! His love does not depend upon you; His love is wholly dependent upon the sacrifice of His Son.

“God Never Surrenders” ( Jeremiah 32: 33, NIV ) by Carley Evans

God bemoans Israel, who are the people of God, saying: “They turn their backs to me and not their faces; though I teach them again and again, they do not listen or respond to discipline.”

I’ve heard parents bemoan their child, “We’ve tried everything, but he ‘turns his back to [us] and not [his] face.’” “We teach [him] again and again, [but he] does not listen or respond to discipline.’”

I’ve heard that a few parents eventually disown or surrender to the child, usually after many many years of frustrating efforts.

But, I know that nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39) God never gives up on us.

“The Good Work” ( Philippians 1: 6, HCSB ) by Carley Evans

Paul writes to the church at Philippi, “I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” The good work, I believe, to which Paul refers is their partnership with him in grace. These brothers and sisters in Christ partner with Paul to establish and defend the gospel. And God “carries it on to completion.” God has not begun this good work to see it fail.

Paul exhorts, “Just one thing: live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, working side by side for the faith of the gospel, not being frightened in any way.” (Philippians 1:27-28)

Paul calls them and us to stand together in “one spirit, with one mind, working side by side for the faith of the gospel” and to do so without fear. He reminds, “If God is for us, who is against us? He did not even spare His own Son, but offered Him up for us all; how will He not also with Him grant us everything? Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the One who justifies. Who is the one who condemns?” (Romans 8:31-34)

“In Me, You May Have Peace” ( John 16: 33, ESV ) by Carley Evans

Jesus’ disciples, when the Lord tells them He is no longer speaking to them in figurative speech, i.e. in parables, proclaim “now we know that You know all things and do not need anyone to question You; this is why we believe that You came from God.” (John 16:30)

Jesus responds, perhaps with a wry smile, “Do you now believe?” (John 6:31) then tells them they will scatter, “and leave Me alone.” (John 16:32) Here Jesus acknowledges His friends believe in Him, but nevertheless will abandon Him in His hour of suffering. In the next moment, He encourages them. Jesus tells them that He is saying “these things to you, that in Me you may have peace.” (John 16:33)

A contradiction? A paradox?

I speak in parables, and you can’t tell I Am from God. I speak plainly and you are amazed. You think My plain speaking means I must be from God. You declare your belief, but soon you will scatter in fear and sleepiness. You will leave Me alone to face your sins and My Father’s wrath. But I Am giving you My peace despite yourselves.

And, this is the good news. Jesus gives us His peace despite ourselves.

“Of No Effect” ( Ephesians 2: 15, HCSB ) by Carley Evans

Jesus “makes of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that He may create in Himself one new man from the two [groups - Jews and Gentiles], resulting in peace. He does this so that He may reconcile both to God in one body through the cross and put the hostility to death by it.” (Ephesians 2:15-16)

Jesus puts “the hostility to death.” He makes Gentiles “no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household.” (Ephesians 2:19) Today, it is easy (at least in the western world) to forget that the Jewish people are the chosen people of God. He selects one individual to favor — Abram, and through his offspring, one people. Everyone who is not of Abram is rejected; that is, until Jesus.

Once Jesus reconciles the Jew and Gentile, there is peace. Up until that event, there is violence. “When the Messiah comes, He proclaims the good news of peace to you who are far away and peace to those who are near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.” (Ephesians 2:17) “The Gentiles are co-heirs, members of the same body, and partners of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” (Ephesians 3:6)

This peace — this reconciliation — emerges from the law having lost its effect — the law no longer provides the means to pleasing God, reaching God. Only grace permits entrance to the Holy — only through “the incalculable riches of the Messiah” (Ephesians 3:8) do we stand justified before God. The law is of no effect.

“Light In The Lord” ( Ephesians 5: 8, HCSB ) by Carley Evans

Once we were darkness, “but now [we] are light in the Lord.” As children of light, we should walk in that light, “discerning what is pleasing to the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:10) Paul repeats himself, so that we know how important is his point. He says again that we are not to walk “as unwise people but as wise.” (Ephesians 5:15) We are not to be foolish; rather we are to “understand what the Lord’s will is.” (Ephesians 5:17)

“Everything exposed by the light is made clear,” says Paul. Jesus says that people come into the light so their deeds are exposed as “accomplished by God” (John 3:21) while other people hate and avoid the same light, remaining in darkness so that their deeds are not exposed as evil.

As we are children of light, a natural consequence is that we expose “the fruitless deeds of darkness.” (Ephesians 5:11) For this reason, Jesus tells us not to be surprised that the world hates us. (John 15:19) After all, the world hates Jesus first; it follows that the world hates us as well.

Our role is to reflect the Lord, to reflect His light. His light is love — sometimes soothing, sometimes searing. “The truth is in Jesus.” (Ephesians 4:21)

“The Strength To Comprehend” ( Ephesians 2: 4-5, ESV ) by Carley Evans

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loves us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, makes us alive together with Christ — by grace you are saved.” Paul says, God is rich in mercy and filled with great love for us. God “makes us alive” and seals us “with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14) God “raises us up with Him and seats us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:6) “For we are [God's] workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10) I pray you “may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:18-19)

Lord, make us strong so that we may know the gift of Your grace, the richness of Your mercy, and the immensity of Your love, so that we “may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Amen.

“Once Of Their Number” ( Ephesians 2:3, NEB ) by Carley Evans

Jesus tells us, “Pass no judgment, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; acquit, and you will be acquitted; give, and gifts will be given you.” (Luke 6:37-38)

Paul, in his letter to the church at Ephesus, reminds that at one time all of us “were dead in [our] sins and wickedness, when [we] followed the evil ways of this present age, when [we] obeyed the commander of the spiritual powers of the air, the spirit now at work among God’s rebel subjects.” (Ephesians 2:1-2) “We too were once of their number: we all lived our lives in sensuality, and obeyed the promptings of our own instincts and notions. In our natural condition we, like the rest, lay under the dreadful judgment of God” (Ephesians 2:3)

Of course, the gift we have received is that of God’s grace: His rich mercy, His great love. Paul encourages us; reminding “how immense are the resources of His grace, and how great His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:7-8) “For [Christ] Himself is our peace.” (Ephesians 2:14) Of course,”there is nothing for anyone to boast of” (Ephesians 2:10) because our salvation “is God’s gift, not a reward for work done.” (Ephesians 2:9) “For we are God’s handiwork.” (Ephesians 2:10)

Since we are God’s handiwork and not rewarded our salvation for works performed, we have cause neither to boast nor to judge others. We are not qualified to judge others for we ourselves were once of their company. We cannot boast for we also were lost in our sins, separated from God, dead in our condition. “But God, rich in mercy, for the great love He bore us, brought us to life with Christ even when we were dead in our sins; it is by grace [we] are saved.” (Ephesians 2:4-5)

Therefore, judge not. Neither boast, except of the Lord.

“To The Eye Of Reason” ( Romans 1: 20, NEB ) by Carley Evans

“[God's] invisible attributes, that is to say His everlasting power and deity, have been visible, ever since the world began, to the eye of reason, in the things He has made.” Therefore, maintains Paul, people are without excuse. People deliberately choose to ignore the obvious evidence for the existence and preeminence of God, and worship created things instead — things which include animals, spirits and even their very selves.

Paul also contends that “[we] therefore have no defence — [we] who sit in judgment , whoever [we] may be — for in judging [our] fellow-man [we] condemn [ourselves], since [we], the judges, are equally guilty.” (Romans 2:1)

Remember, “there is no just man, not one; no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have swerved aside, all alike have become debased; there is no one to show kindness; no, not one.” (Romans 3:10-12)

The extraordinary news — the very good news — is that “quite independently of the law, God’s justice has been brought to light. The Law and the prophets bear witness to it: it is God’s way of righting wrong, effective through faith in Christ for all who have such faith — all, without distinction. For all alike have sinned, and are deprived of the divine splendour, and all are justified by God’s free grace alone, through His act of liberation in the person of Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:21-25) Amen. Hallelujah.