God Is Our Savior

CONSIDER
God calls us to Himself because He loves us and desires an intimate and personal relationship with us. The righteous work of Jesus Christ provides the opportunity for us to choose salvation that results in communion with God. Jesus Christ pleased the Father by being the acceptable sacrifice in our place. Our sin natures separated us from a relationship with God, but Jesus did everything necessary to make the way for us to come to God. It is His work that makes us acceptable to God, not any particular formula of human design. Erroneously we believe it is our responsibility to appease God and become acceptable to Him. Perhaps we assume that by doing the right thing, saying the right thing, or doing “it” good enough we can gain entrance into a relationship with God.


BIBLE TRUTH

It pleased the Father to provide for our best interest through His redemptive work. All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. (1 Peter 1:3–5 NLT)

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
The two polar extremes that block dependency on Jesus are “I am not good enough” and “I am good enough.” The reality is that it is not about us—whether we are or are not good enough. It is about Christ and what He has accomplished. When we come to salvation, we are choosing to depend and rely on God in all areas of our lives.

PRAYER
Jesus, I believe that you died for everyone so that those who receive Your new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, You want me to live for You. You died and were raised for me. . . . (2 Cor. 5:15)


(excerpts from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis)


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What Is God’s Job in My Life?

CONSIDER
A childhood adventure invited us to search for hidden treasures. With coded map in hand we attempted to calculate the incomprehensible wealth that could be obtained if we deciphered all the cryptic symbols. Somewhere along our journey we came to believe that our dreams could be satisfied by God; He would give us everything we wanted if we could just decipher all the cryptic symbols. The good news is that Christ has provided an incomprehensible treasure, but it is a treasure of His design, not necessarily a fulfillment of our wishes.

BIBLE TRUTH
“His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3 NASB).

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
The work of the cross enables us to inherit the riches of Christ if we accept His work on our behalf. His coffers overflow with abundant provision sufficient for every need as we are being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. A divine treasure spills over with inexhaustible wealth awaiting acquisition, and as God’s children we are heirs to His vast treasure.

PRAYER
God, thank You for the precious faith I have. I know this faith was given to me because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior. God, please give me more and more grace and peace as I grow in my knowledge of You and Jesus our Lord. I know that by Your divine power, You have given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know You. You are the one who called us by means of Your marvelous glory and excellence. And because of Your glory and excellence, You have given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable us to share Your divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. . . . (2 Peter 1:1–4)


(excerpts from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis)


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God Is Trustworthy

CONSIDER
We are inclined to interpret God’s sovereignty as a concept akin to control; and we therefore assign expectations, anticipating protection from harassment, hurt, and harm. We then look forward to being prospered exponentially by being healthy, wealthy, and wise. However, God’s sovereignty is not accomplished through His being controlling; nor is it synonymous with control. God is sovereign but not controlling. We have trouble conceptualizing how God could be all-powerful and over all if He does not control all.

BIBLE TRUTH

Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! For who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice? And who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back? For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen. (Rom. 11:33–36 NLT)

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
Control implies the necessity for others to cooperate in order for something to be brought to completion. Intimidation is also implied, insinuating that there is someone or something able to overpower the threatening interest. God accomplishes His plans regardless of any willing cooperation. He possesses ultimate authority over all the kings of the earth, the devils that roam the earth, and the will of humans upon the earth. But God does not need to control any of these interests to perform His plan. Therefore God can allow all to have free will, and still His plans will come to fruition.

PRAYER
Lord, I am confident that You began a good work in me. I am certain that you will continue Your work until it is finally finished on the day You return. . . . (Phil. 1:6)


(excerpts from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis)


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God Is Sovereign

CONSIDER
God is sovereign. His domain, power, and authority are unparalleled and unrivaled. There is no restraint or inhibition placed on Him that prevents the exercise of His will. God is without limits and needs no permission to act. Guided only by His personal attributes, He rules over all. God knows the beginning and the end of time, and sees into eternity as if it were today.


BIBLE TRUTH

We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. (2 Cor. 4:7–10 NLT)

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
People are very uncomfortable with the concept of God’s sovereignty. The idea of God acting solely according to His plan often provokes fear. Instead, we would rather He be controlling, or better yet controllable. Believing that an all-powerful, all-knowing, always-present God can be influenced to accomplish what we want produces much comfort and presents great appeal. If God can be an extension of my control, this elicits much motivation to beseech Him. Yet it is an erroneous understanding and has been the impetus for much criticism that God has let us down.

Truly it is impossible for the human mind to fully comprehend the concept of God’s sovereignty. With our limited insight we attempt to justify all the ramifications, but the ways of God are past finding out.


PRAYER
Jesus, I come to You because I am weary. Please carry my heavy burdens and give me rest. I take Your yoke upon myself. Teach me with Your humble and gentle heart so I can find rest for my soul. I know Your yoke is easy to bear, and the burden You give me is light. . . .(Matt. 11:28–30)


(excerpts from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis)


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He Is Compassionate

CONSIDER
Perhaps one of your earliest childhood memories recalls singing, “Yes, Jesus Loves Me.” This elementary song may have saturated your soul, but even in adulthood it is difficult to comprehend the depths of that simple truth.

“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Rom. 5:6–8 NLT).

BIBLE TRUTH

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? . . . No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 8:35–39 NLT)

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
The truth of God’s love is not just a fact; it becomes a reality when we can recognize that because God loves us, He cares about every area of our lives. Not only does He care, but He also understands our deepest struggles, and He desires to be the solution for our every problem.

PRAYER
Jesus, You are our High Priest who can empathize with my weaknesses. You have been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet You did not sin. I approach Your throne of grace with confidence, so that I may receive mercy and find grace to help me in my time of need. . . . (Heb. 4:15–16)


(excerpts from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis)


We would love for you to POST A COMMENT about the insights you have received on your journey toward desperate dependency.

You Are Loved!

The truth of God’s love is not just a fact; it becomes a reality when we can recognize that because God loves us, He cares about every area of our lives. Not only does He care, but He also understands our deepest struggles, and He desires to be the solution for our every problem.

On a particularly desperate day, the simple fact of God’s love for me (Kirk) became a powerful, relevant truth. Submitting to lifetime ministry did not isolate us from crisis and tribulation. The fiery darts of the wicked one inundated us with unrelenting force. The battle was fierce. It was the kind of spiritual warfare that challenged every fiber of my being.

As I was driving en route to pay a bill, I looked up and said to God in the privacy of my truck, “Lord, I’m at my end. I think I’m finished. There is nothing left in me to carry on. I don’t have anything else to give.” I was beaten. I had no more stamina. No more ability to endure. I was not depressed; I did not want to die. I was, however, pressed beyond my measure to continue the fight. I was exhausted.

“God, . . . I am finished! I don’t know what will become of me or how I will continue into tomorrow. God, unless You do something, it’s over for me.” My prayer to God was as tired and devoid of emotion as it could have ever been and still be articulated. All I could do was to look to God and say, “Please help me.”

God had me right where He wanted me. It was at this broken place I received from God the greatest gift I could ever have—His love! I have placed this event in the annals of the most significant experiences with God I have ever had.

God’s Spirit opened my mind that day to all verses of Scripture, sermons, and songs I have ever read, preached, heard preached, or sung, testifying to His great love for me. I began to be flooded with the love of Christ beyond anything I have ever known or thought was possible. His nurturing was powerful and tangible; I could feel His presence. As I was being cocooned within His love, the peace of God surpassed my understanding while I was serenaded by the very songs of how much He loves me. All my worries, my fears, my concerns for life, and how I would make it past today were enraptured in the vortex of His person. I was now strengthened with His might. It was at this moment that I wanted nothing more than what God wanted for me.

You too, may be assured of God's love for you!

INSIGHT JOURNAL
Complete this statement:
I know God loves me because … (try to make an extensive list, not just a preprogrammed answer).

(excerpts from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis)


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My Way or His Will?

CONSIDER
We want to meet with God on our terms, but He will meet us only on His terms. We want to relate with Him in a way that is comfortable to us, but anything short of God’s plan is a deception. We forfeit reality for comfort and give up a relevant encounter with God.
The Bible uses the term confess to identify the juncture where we become congruent with the mind of God regarding His revealed truth. God asks us to confess foundational truths such as Jesus Christ is the Son of God and Lord (1 John 4:15; Rom. 10:9), Jesus is relevant (Luke 12:8), and we are sinful (1 John 1:9). Confession is key to an authentic relationship with God.

BIBLE TRUTH
“On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws’” (Matt. 7:22–23 NLT).

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
As we become congruent with God’s description of us and our sin, we no longer succumb to Satan’s deceptions that keep us bound. When we confront the truth about ourselves, we agree with God that He is the only one capable of delivering us. We are incapable of living an independent life. Under the pretext of spirituality we miss a relevant relationship with Jesus. Christ asserted to His disciples that a true relationship with Him is more than just performing good deeds, even if they do appear to be supernatural and miraculous.

PRAYER
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. . . . (Ps. 139)


(excerpts from Desperate Dependency by J. Kirk & Melanie D. Lewis)


We would love for you to POST A COMMENT about the insights you have received on your journey toward desperate dependency.