“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)

“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.

“This Doctrine Of The Cross” ( 1 Corinthians 1: 18, NEB ) by Carley Evans

“We proclaim Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:23) and “the doctrine of the cross” which “is sheer folly to those on their way to ruin, but to us who are on the way to salvation it is the power of God.” “What room then is left for human pride? It is excluded. And on what principle? The keeping of the law would not exclude it, but faith does. For our argument is that a man is justified by faith quite apart from success in keeping the law.” (Romans 3:27-28) “For if those who hold by the law, and they alone, are heirs, then faith is empty and the promise goes for nothing, because law can bring only retribution.” (Romans 4:14-15) “[God] is Himself just and also justifies any man who puts his faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:26) Therefore,”all are justified by God’s free grace alone.” (Romans 3:24)

“Now, quite independently of law, God’s justice has been brought to light.” (Romans 3:21) And this is simultaneously the folly and the power of God. “Divine folly is wiser than the wisdom of man, and divine weakness stronger than man’s strength.” (1 Corinthians 1:25) And Jesus, “nailed to the cross” “is the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:23, 24)

Put your faith in His power and wisdom though it may appear to be folly.

“Set Your Hope On Grace” ( 1 Peter 1: 18 – 19, HCSB ) by Carley Evans

“You are born again,” writes Peter. (1 Peter 1:23) “Conduct yourself in fear during the time of your temporary residence.” (1 Peter 1:17) After all, says Peter: you are a “living stone, being built into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5) “You are [part of] a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for [God's] possession.” (1 Peter 2:9) Therefore,”be holy, because [God is] holy.” (1 Peter 1:16)

Because you are a “stranger and temporary resident” of this earth,”rid yourself of all malice.” (1 Peter 2:11,1) “Love one another earnestly from a pure heart.” (1 Peter 1:22) “Be serious and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:13) Remember that “you have tasted that the Lord is good.” (1 Peter 2:3)

“Now for a short time you have had to struggle in various trials so that the genuineness of your faith — more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire — may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. You love Him though you have not seen Him.” (1 Peter 1:6-8) Even in these various trials,”you are being protected by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:5) “Humble yourself, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your care on Him, because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7)

“When We Were Still Powerless” ( Romans 5: 6 – 8, NEB ) by Carley Evans

“For at the very time when we were still powerless, then Christ died for the wicked [that is, for us]. Even for a just man one of us would hardly die, though perhaps for a good man one might actually brave death; but Christ died for us while we were yet sinners, and that is God’s own proof of His love towards us.”

When did God’s Son die for us? “When we were still powerless.” When we were “wicked,” “while we were yet sinners.” Why did God send His Son to die for us? Christ’s death “is God’s own proof of His love towards us.”

We didn’t earn God’s love. Rather, “in Christ He chose us before the world was founded, to be dedicated, to be without blemish in His sight, to be full of love; and He destined us — such was His will and pleasure — to be accepted as His sons through Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 1:3-5) “For it is by grace [we] are saved, through trusting Him; it is not [our] own doing.” (Ephesians 2:8) “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)

“And although [we] were dead because of [our] sins and because [we] were morally uncircumcised, [God] has made [us] alive with Christ. For He has forgiven us all our sins; He has canceled the bond which pledged us to the decrees of the law. It stood against us, but He has set it aside, nailing it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:13-14)

We are free from the law of sin and death because Christ died for us — the ungodly, while we were still powerless. Praise be to God, our Lord and Savior.

“The Richness Of His Grace” ( Ephesians 1: 7, HCSB ) by Carley Evans

“We have redemption in [Christ] through His blood.” Yes, our redemption is through Christ’s blood, and not through the Law, not through our good deeds, not through our own efforts. Rather, we are given “the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace that He lavishes on us with all wisdom and understanding.” (Ephesians 1:7-8) Christ’s grace is the cause of our redemption; this grace which He continues to “lavish on us.” Imagine the richness of the love a mother lavishes on her newborn baby — a pale reflection of the love and grace Christ lavishes on us “with all wisdom and understanding.”

And “the gift is not like the trespass.” “Where sin multiplies, grace multiplies even more so that, just as sin reigns in death, so also grace reigns through righteousness, resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord.” (Romans 5:15, 20-21)

“What are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?” (Romans 8:31) “Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the One who justifies.” (Romans 8:33) “Who can separate us from the love of Christ?” (Romans 8:35)

“Why We Call It Grace” by Carley Evans

My neighbor came over this evening to look at photographs of my new puppy, and to have a glass of red wine. He told me that an American had been found dead in Japan.

“An American?”

A young teacher of English — a young woman who apparently got caught in the tsunami as she attempted to unite parents and children. He said she then “rode away on her bicycle.”

“And was never seen again?”

“Hit by that 30 foot wave, I guess,” he said.

I cried for her, but even more for her parents. I cried for her parents because I am the parent of a 25 year old young woman teaching English in Japan.

When I heard about Taylor Anderson’s death, all I could think was “there but for the grace of God go I.” And then I wondered again — as I do so often — what have I ever done to deserve God’s grace?

And the answer — of course — is NOTHING at all. That’s why we call it GRACE!

Not Qualified To Judge ( Romans 2: 1, HCSB ) by Carley Evans

One of the most difficult aspects of the Christian walk is refraining from judging others. Paul states that he does not even judge himself; he puts that ‘on hold’ until the coming of the Lord Jesus at which time all men are to be judged by the One True Judge, even God Himself. Until then, we are called to “judge not” by Jesus Christ and by His apostle, Paul.

Paul challenges us to recognize that we are not qualified to judge ourselves or one another. “For when [we] judge another, [we] condemn [ourselves], since [we], the judges, do the same things.” When we set up ourselves as judges, we are actually judging the Law and the Lawgiver, who is God. Who are we to judge the law and the One True Judge?

“You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?” (Romans 2: 23) If you claim that you do not break the law and so you are qualified to judge others, you are both lying to yourself and to God. (1 John 1: 8)

“Now we know that whatever the law says speaks to those who are subject to the law, so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may be subject to God’s judgment. For no one is justified in His sight by the works of the law, because the knowledge of sin comes through the law.” (Romans 3: 19 – 20)

Recognize sin in yourselves — and of course in others — but realize that Jesus died so that we are not judged or judging, but are rather set free from the law of sin and death.

“The one who loves his brother remains in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.” (1 John 2: 10)

Amen!

“Forming One Body” (Romans 12: 5, NEB) by Carley Evans

“All of us, united with Christ, form one body, serving individually as limbs and organs to one another.”

I look at Facebook and see the Body of Christ, the Church — at least, the Facebook I know is the Church. We, all of us, are “united with Christ” and so “form one body”; but we are individuals. Each of us is unique with special gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit. With our gifts, we serve one another.

“The gifts we possess differ as they are allotted to us by God’s grace. and must be exercised accordingly: the gift of inspired utterance, for example, in proportion to a man’s faith.” (Romans 12: 6 – 7)

We use our gifts to the benefit of our brothers and sisters in Christ as well as for the benefit of the world in need. For we are commanded to “call down blessings on [our] persecutors — blessings, not curses.” (Romans 12: 14) We are to serve the Lord and one another “with unflagging energy, in ardour of spirit.” (Romans 12: 11) We are to “care as much about each other as about [ourselves].” (Romans 12: 16)

Each of us is special, but no one should “be conceited or think too highly of [himself].” Instead, each should “think [his] way to a sober estimate based on the measure of faith that God deals to each of [us].” (Romans 12: 3 – 4)

“Grace To The Humble” (James 4: 6, NEB) by Carley Evans

“Humble yourselves before God and He will lift you high.” (James 4: 10) Humble yourselves, for “God opposes the arrogant and gives grace to the humble.” (James 4: 6)

James suggests that you not say that tomorrow you are going to do this or that, or go here or there. Instead he says, “You have no idea what tomorrow will bring.” (James 4: 13) Instead, you ought to say, “If it be the Lord’s will, we shall live to do this or that.” (James 4: 15) James warns that it is arrogance which leads you to boast of your plans as if you know your future. “All such boasting is wrong.” (James 4: 16)

James calls you to “come close to God, [so] He will come close to you.” (James 4: 8) Ask God for the wisdom you need to plan your days. For “if you fall short in wisdom, [you] should ask God for it and it will be given [you], for God is a generous giver who neither refuses nor reproaches anyone. But [you] must ask in faith, without a doubt in [your] mind.” (James 1: 5)

As you ask God for wisdom, know also that “the grace He gives is stronger.” (James 4: 6) God’s grace is stronger than the adversary, stronger than the world, and stronger than you. “Be sorrowful, mourn and weep. Turn your laughter into mourning and your gaiety into gloom.” (James 4: 9) As you humble yourselves before God, He gives wisdom and grace so that you overcome the world.