The God Place - A Maltese Perspective

The following blog post is shared with permission from Alton Costa whom we met in Malta earlier this year.

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.” Jesus in Luke 14:26

How can Jesus speak about hate when He is portrayed and acknowledged by many as love. Can love and hate co-exist? Doesn’t love mean to accept anybody and anything, for the sake of peace and serenity?

Many would say, “This is so confusing.” You have two choices right now in front of you. 1. You can either give up thinking about it and continue your life or 2. Read this and sincerely reflect about the contrast Jesus is challenging you with today, in the situation you are currently facing.

God being the creator of all, created a special and sacred place within us all – The God place. This is that place in which ones finds true purpose and fulfilment. This place cannot remain empty and being made by God, it should rightfully be occupied by HIM. Since this sacred place cannot remain empty, failure to accept our dependency on Jesus (The creator and owner of this place), we will fill it with a God substitute.

This kind of substitute comes in various forms and shapes. It can be your career, your family, you husband or wife, your children, love for money, love for power, hobby, love for self pleasure etc….In other words all those things that take the place of God. What I am calling God substitutes will certainly bring contentment, fulfilment and a great dose of pleasure but you will soon discover if not yet discovered that all this will be temporary. It is fit to tell that when speaking about an eternal God, even a lifetime is temporary.

These God’s substitutes will at one point fail you. if not during your life time, they will certainly do at the point of death, because they will have no longer effect over you as they will be gone once and for all and then you have to face the true owner of that sacred place.

Using substitutes instead of the original explains, these million and 1 religions and ideologies, depressions, divorces, suicides and may other ill facts.

That is why Jesus is using such a sharp contrast in  Luke 14:26. because in order for you to discover your true life purpose and everlasting fulfilment, He must be the only one filling that special and exclusive place in your heart, even to the point of having to go against what today you feel are the most valuable things in your life. If those things or persons are holding you back from allowing Jesus to take His place within you, then you have to hate them, that is eradicate them from your life and deny them the faculty to interfere with your relationship with the only One who can give you eternal life. All this cannot be understood unless you truly value your life and value its creator. You were not created it for a 100 years but to live for eternity. Now you know, act on it and do not leave it until tomorrow, because tomorrow might never come.

For what does it benefit a man to gain the whole world yet lose his life? (Jesus in Mark 8:36)

Reflection triggered by a life changing book by the name of "Desperate Dependency" by J.Kirk and  Melanie D. Lewis

Alton Costa desires to use Desperate Dependency as a foundation course for new believers in Malta. Desperately Dependent Community will provide these books free of charge to Malta with your help. Click HERE to contribute to the gofundme campaign that will pay for shipping costs. 

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Desperately Dependent Community is uniquely qualified to succeed due to the following reasons:

·  Ministry families are suffering in isolation while surrounded by the demands of needy souls. We offer relevant relationships to promote hope and healing.

·  Teaching, tending, and training are provided through a variety of means.

·  The management team has demonstrated decades of effective, sustained ministry.

·  Our ministry team has personally experienced the life changing results of an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ that produces spiritual maturity.

Desperately Dependent Community resources are offered locally and globally. Our compassionate caregivers are available to minister services where needed or even connect via modern technology (i.e. Skype, FaceTime, Google Hangout, etc.). With our primary location in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area, we may easily service our close neighbors in Georgia, Alabama, and North Carolina. While serving an interdenominational community, our primary focus is on the Southern Baptist Convention.

Considering that most churches have at least one pastor, and add to the statistics other staff members and their families, the prospective need base of Christian ministers, their families, and workers in our neighborhood alone is staggering.

How can you get involved with Desperately Dependent Community?

1.     Make a commitment to find Christ relevant to every area of your life.

2.     Accept that spiritual maturity is a lifelong process.

3.     Recognize that everyone, including Christian leaders, must commit to the lifelong process of spiritual maturity.

 

4.     Appropriate the principles of Desperate Dependency: Finding Christ Relevant to Every Area of Life.

5.     Teach others to find Christ relevant to every area of their lives. 

6.     Share the ministry of DDCommunity with your pastor and others who desire to find Christ relevant to every area of life thereby promoting effective, sustained ministries.

7.     Let us know how you would like to be a part of DDCommunity.

8.     Contribute your time, talents, and/or treasures as God directs you to further the ministry of DDCommunity.

9.     Pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen us with power through His Spirit in our inner being, so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith. And pray that we, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that we all may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Eph. 3:16–19 NIV).

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

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.

God Is Real, Therefore He Is Relevant

CONSIDER
God desires an intimate relationship with His creation. He is not merely an impersonal creator who has left His creation to fend for itself. He is a real God who desires humanity to experience Him as relevant to every aspect of life. John spoke of the joy that results when we encounter Christ as real and relevant.

BIBLE TRUTH

We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy. (1 John 1:1–4 NLT)

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
Webster’s dictionary defines relevant as “having significant and demonstrable bearing on the matter at hand; affording evidence tending to prove or disprove the matter at issue or under discussion.” Is there significant and demonstrable evidence that God is real in your life? If we say we believe God is real, then His reality will be reflected as we demonstrate His image in our lives. As we daily experience God as relevant, our lives offer proof of His existence to a watching world. There must always be an interaction between what we profess and what our lives evidence. The essence of Christianity is not mere profession of faith, but rather possession of faith, where the truth of Christ is confirmed by the reality of our lives.

PRAYER
Lord, when I turn to you I begin to see more clearly because the veil is taken away. Because You are the Spirit, wherever You are there is freedom. I want to live in Your freedom so I may more fully see and reflect Your glory. And Lord, may Your Spirit make me more and more like You as I am changed into Your glorious image. (2 Cor. 3:16–18)


(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.

The Deception

CONSIDER
Lucifer initiated the subversion in heaven. In the perfect environment of heaven, Lucifer was created.

“You were the model of perfection,
     full of wisdom and exquisite in beauty.
You were in Eden,
     the garden of God.
Your clothing was adorned with every precious stone—
     red carnelian, pale-green peridot, white moonstone,
     blue-green beryl, onyx, green jasper,
     blue lapis lazuli, turquoise, and emerald—
all beautifully crafted for you
     and set in the finest gold.
They were given to you
     on the day you were created.” (Ezek. 28:12–13 NLT)

Lucifer served in God’s perfect presence.

“I ordained and anointed you
     as the mighty angelic guardian.
You had access to the holy mountain of God
     and walked among the stones of fire.” (Ezek. 28:14 NLT)

But even in the perfect environment of heaven, in God’s perfect presence, Lucifer believed he had a better plan than God.

“Your heart was filled with pride
     because of all your beauty.
Your wisdom was corrupted
     by your love of splendor.” (Ezek. 28:17 NLT)

“How you are fallen from heaven,
     O shining star, son of the morning!
You have been thrown down to the earth,
     you who destroyed the nations of the world.
For you said to yourself,
     ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars.
I will preside on the mountain of the gods
     far away in the north.
I will climb to the highest heavens
     and be like the Most High.’” (Isa. 14:12–14 NLT)

Lucifer perpetrated his faulty belief system that he should be god. He convinced one third of the angels that he had a better plan than God (Rev. 12:4).

“So I banished you in disgrace
     from the mountain of God.
I expelled you, O mighty guardian,
     from your place among the stones of fire.” (Ezek. 28:16 NLT)

BIBLE TRUTH
“But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God” (Rom. 1:18–20 NLT).

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
Still believing he could be god, Satan devised a plan in an attempt to subvert God’s design for humanity. By distorting Eve’s view of God, the trap was laid for all humanity. Every temptation that threatens us is a temptation to live independently from God. Believing God cannot be trusted to govern our lives as we see fit, we must complete ourselves—we must be god in our lives. This idolatrous belief perpetrates arrogance and selfish ambition as we follow our own way with a distorted view of God and reality.

PRAYER
Lord, You are my Master. Every good thing I have comes from you. Troubles multiply for me when I chase after other gods. I will not take part in their sacrifices or even speak the names of their gods. Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine. The land you have given me is a pleasant land. What a wonderful inheritance! . . . (Psalm 16:2–6)


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


We would love for you to share in the COMMENTS the insights you have received on your journey.

The Truth about the Lie

Even before the world began there was a debate about how God should operate. Angelic beings and humans alike have contrived multiple ideas about God and how He should conduct the affairs of the universe. Similarly we erroneously contrive our own portrait of God based on how we believe He should rule the world. Convinced that we have a better idea, we envision life from our skewed perspective.

BIBLE TRUTH
“Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. . . . They traded the truth about God for a lie.” (Rom. 1:21–23, 25 NLT).

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
Reality is based in God’s absolute truth. If we don’t see the way God does, it cannot be said that we are in reality. Therefore, we are living in delusion—a lie. The only power Satan has is the power of the lie. If we can get rid of the lies, we get rid of his power. Neil Anderson states, “Satan has no authority or power over you except what you yield to him when you are deceived into believing his lies.” Few people live in reality. Most live in delusion based on lies.

PRAYER
Jesus, I know You spoke in parables so those who desired to know the truth could know the truth. I do not want to be like those seeing, but they do not see; nor like those hearing, but they do not hear or understand. I do not want the prophecy of Isaiah quoted about me that I will be ever hearing but never understanding; ever seeing but never perceiving. Lord, help me always seek to hear Your truth, understand Your truth, and live in Your truth. . . . (Matthew 13:13–14)


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


We would love for you to share in the COMMENTS the insights you have received on your journey.

Communion with God

The human soul is the temple of the Spirit where we meet with God to commune with Him personally. Each one of us possesses our own personal temple; our own personal rooms where we may, at any time, sit and encounter God in meaningful fellowship—heart to heart. Judging from the Samaritan woman’s response to meeting Jesus spiritually, we must attest to the fact that such an encounter is life changing.

BIBLE TRUTH
“The woman said, 'I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When He comes, He will explain everything to us.' Then Jesus told her, 'I AM the Messiah!' . . . The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, 'Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could He possibly be the Messiah?'” (John 4:25–29 NLT).

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
Spirituality enabled this woman to see beyond Jesus’ humanity into His deity. Perhaps the reason it is so hard to experience Jesus as real and relevant is because we are not seeking Him in spirit and truth. In order to be desperately dependent on God we must confront the deception—our independence is leading us away from Him. It is essential to experience Him as relevant in every area of our lives while we apply truth concerning Jesus to the challenges of our lives. When we see Christ as relevant in our lives, we desire Him. As we desire Him, we draw into a closer love relationship with Him. Repentance is required to turn from our self-indulgence to finding our satisfaction in Christ alone. He is all we need.

PRAYER
Dear God, I don’t want to be a liar by saying I have fellowship with You but go on living in spiritual darkness; I am not practicing the truth. But I desire to live in the light as You are in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, Your Son, cleanses me from all sin. . . . (1 John 1:6–7)


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


We would love for you to share in the COMMENTS the insights you have received on your journey.

The American Dream

We want to be happy. “God wants us to be happy.” We want our spouses to be happy. We want our kids to be happy. We just want everyone to be happy. We especially want everyone to be happy with us. This is the American dream—we all deserve to be happy. But the American dream spawns the American nightmare. The pursuit of this dream leads to addiction, deviance, mental illness, and death because it is ultimately based in self-centeredness. It is accurate to proclaim that the crown and glory of all the fruit of the flesh is self-indulgence. It is the expected reward for having labored in the vineyard of self-centeredness. Happiness is the illusive prize.

BIBLE TRUTH
“The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength" (Deut. 6:4–5 NLT).

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
The continuous pursuit of pleasure-producing indulgences culminates in discouragement. The eventual outcome of self-indulgence is discouragement because we want what we want, but our wants are never satisfied. Then we move to a new set of desires, believing these new choices will produce the ultimate fulfillment.

Ultimately there is nothing that can impart contentment apart from Christ. We flit from bloom to bloom looking for the nectar of life, but only God is able to provide true satisfaction. The spiritual fruit of self-control is experienced through dependence on the Spirit of God so we do not have to depend on ourselves. His divine enablement leads to personal empowerment.

PRAYER
Dear God, I do not want to be dominated by my sinful nature that thinks about sinful, self-centered things. I truly desire to be controlled by the Holy Spirit and think about things that please the Spirit. I choose to avoid a dead life with my mind controlled by my sinful nature. I want an abundant life filled with peace, so please keep me aware of the Spirit’s control of my mind. (Rom. 8:5–6)


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


We would love for you to share in the COMMENTS the insights you have received on your journey.

I Want What I Want

The familiar story of Jonah illustrates the approaches employed to address the deeper problem of the nature of sin. God was seeking to save a people while salvaging a prophet. Resistance and self-sufficiency jumped to the forefront as fear, evidenced by anger, gripped Jonah’s heart at the thought that God would not judge the wicked Ninevites. Jonah’s strategy to resolve the crisis was to ensure that God would destroy the people of Nineveh. Believing he could thwart God’s plan by refusing to participate, Jonah asserted his willfulness to create his own redemptive process. Unwilling to trust God, Jonah allowed his bitterness to fester and employed his own creative solutions. The story ends with God in the process of salvaging Jonah by showing him he has no ability to independently restore control to his life, because God’s plan will prevail.

BIBLE TRUTH
“Those who worship false gods
      turn their backs on all God’s mercies" (Jonah 2:8 NLT).

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
Our exhausted supply of resources leaves us alienated. Loneliness invades as our thwarted efforts become evident. The emptiness of our hearts tempts us to continue the vicious cycle of seeking God-substitutes to fill the void. With continued resolve we contrive another plan of employing people, positions, and possessions for our power to live. Eventually the futility of the endeavor becomes evident through social rejection, compromised health, and a lack of personal energy to pursue the pathological dream. Alienated souls now stand stranded beside the road they thought would take them to the place of completion.
“See, they are all foolish, worthless things.
      All your idols are as empty as the wind” (Isa. 41:29 NLT).

PRAYER
LORD, I am crying out to you in my great trouble. I know you will hear and answer me. I am sinking beneath the waves and the waters are closing over me. As my life is slipping away, I am reminded of you, for my salvation comes from you alone. Therefore, I will offer sacrifices to you with the songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. (Jonah 2:1–9)


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


We would love for you to share in the COMMENTS the insights you have received on your journey.

The Unending Cycle

Independent inclinations thrust individuals further into crisis, which perpetuates an unending cycle of futility. At best, self-effort can only temporarily affect the crisis of our lives; it can do nothing to address the deeper problem of sin. In fact, self-effort exacerbates the problem, actually increasing the intensity of the nature of sin’s impact on us. Now we have, as a result of our best solutions, even more guilt, shame, and fear. We are even more alienated from God than before. We only sink deeper into the bondage of our sinfulness. Because of humanity’s depravity, we are stuck in the unending, self-perpetuating cycle. Demoting God as the authority; promoting self as the authority; and exploiting people, positions, and possessions for personal empowerment characterize self’s redemptive process.

BIBLE TRUTH
“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires" (2 Peter 1:3–4 NLT).

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
Despite our best efforts, our plans cannot measure up to God’s design. Our feeble attempts to live independently from God result in disastrous consequences. Perversion propels us to further crisis, although God continues to assert His truth that we must be desperately dependent on Him in every area of our lives. Through Christ’s redemptive process we have a new set of options that can overcome guilt, shame, and fear with an overflow of His love, joy, and peace if we are willing to be desperately dependent.

PRAYER
Finally, Lord, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Thank you! (Ps. 32:5)


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


We would love for you to share in the COMMENTS the insights you have received on your journey.

Dormant Deliverance

The nature of our sin produces continual crisis. Our current line of solutions is not working to resolve the guilt, shame, and fear inherent to the sinfulness. In an attempt to resolve our crisis produced by the nature of sin, we seek deliverance. God has designed us to live within a context of love, joy, and peace. We are not designed to live in a constant state of pressure, stress, and anxiety. But the nature of sin brings these traumatizing by-products along with the guilt, shame, and fear that are embedded in the sin nature. The craving for love, joy, and peace is a residual part of the image of God lying dormant within our souls that is searching for redemption. We cannot stay in our crisis. The need for restored control and resulting peace prompt the search. Motivated by crisis, people inevitably embrace their redemptive need. Invariably this promotes a redemptive process to meet the redemptive demand.

BIBLE TRUTH
“You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. . . . They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly" (2 Tim. 3:1, 5 NLT).

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?
Although God desires His creation to seek Him for redemption, we continue to devise our own salvation strategies to dissipate the conflicts. Compelled by the redemptive need, all of humanity will either employ self’s redemptive process, or choose participation in Christ’s redemptive process. Self-effort naturally embraces the lie of the sin nature that states we can be complete apart from Christ. This perversion contradicts God’s truth that we can only be complete in Christ. Two choices are laid before us. Either we continue in our way ever seeking new remedies to meet the demands of our soul, or we seek peace through Christ. May we be willing to give up our solutions for His salvation.

PRAYER
Lord, when I refuse to confess my sin, my body wastes away, and I groan all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline is heavy on me. My strength evaporates like water in the summer heat. So, Lord, I confess my sin to you. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. (Ps. 32:3; Ps. 51:12)


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


We would love for you to share in the COMMENTS the insights you have received on your journey.

Psalms 111 Prayer Pattern

This psalm was chosen to provide a model designed by God showing ways we can approach Him in a desperately dependent fashion. Use Psalms Prayer Patterns to pour out your heart to God while acknowledging your weakness and His strength, as you grow deeper in your relationship with Him.

Psalms Prayer Pattern

Praise the LORD!

I will thank the LORD with all my heart
     as I meet with his godly people.
How amazing are the deeds of the LORD!
     All who delight in him should ponder them.
Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty.
     His righteousness never fails.
He causes us to remember his wonderful works.
     How gracious and merciful is our LORD!
He gives food to those who fear him;
     he always remembers his covenant.
He has shown his great power to his people
     by giving them the lands of other nations.
All he does is just and good,
     and all his commandments are trustworthy.
They are forever true,
     to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity.
He has paid a full ransom for his people.
     He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever.
     What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has!
Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true wisdom.
     All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom.

Praise him forever!       —Ps. 111 NLT

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


We would love for you to share in the COMMENTS the insights you have received on your journey.

Trust?

Trust is defined as the firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something. It seems that we take trust for granted until we wonder if something or someone is trustworthy like when we cross a swinging bridge or choose a doctor. In a couples’ counseling session trust may have minimal significance until either the husband or wife utters the piercing words, “I do not trust you!” Sadly it seems most people live with little concern for the impact of their choices that result in the lack of trust or the inability to trust. Only when trust is required do we realize its importance, and only when trust is lost do we appreciate its value. Yet have we considered the issue of how we posture ourselves in trust and its ramifications on our relationship with God? How does trust factor into our interaction with God?

Solomon moves his son to consider the issue of trust in the well-known passage of Proverbs 3:5 – 8 (ESV).

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
      and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
      and he will make straight your paths.
Be not wise in your own eyes;
      fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your flesh
      and refreshment to your bones.

Trust is actually the result of making the choice to believe in God’s truth. Given the meaning of the Hebrew word batah the emphasis here is to be moved to hope by force of belief that has previously been solidified in faith. Thus the process of sanctification can be observed in its linear flow: truth is introduced by revelation leading to enlightenment, belief is embraced, faith is experienced, as hope now becomes the essence of the new normal.

David presents in poetic fashion an understanding of walking with God in trust leading to the expected outcome of peace.

Trust in the LORD and do good;
Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the LORD;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light
And your judgment as the noonday.
Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him… (Psalm 37:3 – 8 NASB)

Have you considered what actually influences our willingness to trust? Spiritual death resulted from the choices Adam and Eve made. Their sin broke humanity’s relationship with God, and the devastating consequences trouble us daily. As a result of the Garden encounter:
      1. Humanity disconnected from truth and connected with perversion.
      2. Humanity developed a distorted view of God’s image.
      3. Humanity created a delusional view of themselves.

Belief and what we believe in are the bases for that which we choose to trust. The real question is do we believe in the truth or do we believe in a lie? Truth is not of a human origin and can be found only with God. “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’” (John 14:6 ESV).

Truth is comprised of principles, precepts, and promises of God that empower life with the strength of God. Although God’s law is written in our hearts, we must make the choice to believe God’s truth by accepting His reality as fact. Yet just knowing God’s truth as fact will not change our lives until we believe by faith and appropriate God’s truth in the course of our living. It is not until truth shapes our choices and molds our behavior, sculpting us into the image of Jesus, that we may say we believe. Do we really believe what we say we believe about God so that it permeates our lives and defines our actions?

We may have a vast knowledge of the Bible, but if this knowledge has never changed us it is because we do not believe what we know to be true. When we believe, we act on what we know is certain. “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see” (Heb. 11:1 NLT). It does not require complete comprehension. Absolute understanding is not a necessity. What is essential is that we trust and follow in God’s way. “You will hear a word spoken behind you, saying, ‘This is the correct way, walk in it,’ whether you are heading to the right or the left” (Isa. 30:21 NLT).

Insight Journal
I can trust God because...

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

I Lost Trust

I remember the very day when trust departed from my [Kirk] life. It was the first day of spring when I was 4 years old. For a long time my father had been promising to build a house for us. Our house was a cement shell with rough cement floors, cinder block walls, and room dividers. We had no running water or bathroom. We were dependent on two wood burning fireplaces to keep us warm in winter. When it rained there were three leaks over my bed and five leaks altogether in the bedroom that was shared with my two brothers plus Mama and Dad too. Many a night we awoke to rain soaked quilts. Interestingly, it was quite comforting to return to sleep with the dripping sounds of five pans catching water.

From my description you may think I grew up in 1920’s – 1930’s. Our living conditions were substandard even in rural North Carolina for the 1960’s. For some time Dad had been responding to my questions about moving with, “Well, Erk,” (this is what Dad called me) “in the spring we will build a house and move over to the land.” “The land” was a five-acre plot that somehow my mother was able to buy and retain amid my father’s continuous drinking and gambling. With Dad’s comforting refrain consoling my heart, I would run off with thoughts of a better tomorrow when we would move into our new house – a home with heat, a roof that did not leak, and maybe even carpet. This hope kept me a bit warmer as the damp winter lumbered long with its cold.

Finally, winter gave way to the impending joy of fairer days. One morning I awoke to the most beautiful day I could ever remember. It was the kind of morning that made you feel good on the inside. I sprang from my bed and ran outside to commence an intense day of play and mischievous gallivanting. I recalled running into the house almost plowing into Mama, who asked me why I was so happy. I said, “I feel good today!”

“Well honey, it’s the first day of spring and we all feel good because it is such a pretty day.”

“It’s spring!” I screamed with anticipation that had come to fulfillment. I ran through the house telling everyone to get their stuff because today was moving day!

Mama chased me through the house, confused and somewhat amused with my flight of fancy. She grabbed me while saying, “What are you talking about?”

“Mama, it’s spring and it’s time to move to our new house over at the land!”

Mama quickly retorted, “What house? There is no house at the land.” Mama by this time had grown concerned and was on her knees making eye contact with me and holding me by the shoulders quite firmly.

“Mama,” I replied, “Dad said that in the spring he would build us a house and we would move. It’s spring, so let’s go!”

“Honey, your dad has not built the house yet.”

I remember not being dissuaded by such a sentiment. “So it’s not done yet,” I conceded.

Mama began to recognize the implications of my beliefs. She asserted very directly to me, “Kirk, there is no house. Your dad has not built a house and that is all there is to this. We are not moving!”

All that was previously wonderful changed to the hue of awful. I was incensed to the point of rage. I yelled at Mama, pushing her backwards. “You are lying! My dad can do anything!”

I ran out the front door to where my dad was talking to his drinking buddy, Larry. I could not contain myself so I got in between them vying desperately for Dad’s attention. Dad was too busy looking at Larry’s new Harley, which probably was purchased with all the money my dad lost at Larry’s house gambling on cards, chicken fights, and dogfights. I could no longer wait, so I blurted out, “Dad, today is moving day! Let’s go and pack so we can move to the land!”

I remember Dad being bewildered and annoyed. “What are you talking about little Erk?”

“You said that when spring came we would move, and today is the first day of spring, so let’s go Dad!”

By this time Dad was not only annoyed but also angry that I had interrupted him and embarrassed him by pointing out the fact that he made promises he had no intention of keeping.

Dad pushed me aside. “Can’t you see I’m talking? We are not moving. I have not even cleared the land, and I have not built the house! We are not going anywhere, so leave me alone and quit bothering me!”

I was crushed. I learned that day that the man I thought was so great was a consummate liar. This was the first of many such occasions where I caught my dad lying until the day that he finally left and never came back.

But what I lost that day was more than my relationship with my dad. I lost the willingness to trust. I remember so vividly believing with complete confidence that my dad could have done anything. In my innocent mind it would have been no big deal for him to clear the land, build the house, and move us into it – all in three short hours.

This human example illustrates the influence of trust. Even when trust is misplaced it exerts a certain power on life that provides hope even when believing in a lie. We choose where to place our firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something. Throughout life we look to our objects of trust to provide security. Disillusioned we stumble into the pit and believe we can trust no one but ourselves. The harm befalls us when we develop a heart that is not willing to trust in anything beyond ourselves and what we can control through our own efforts. In our feeble attempts to be the god of our own lives, we miss an intimate connection with the Father who is worthy of trust.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths. (Prov. 3:5–6 NKJV)

Insight Journal
Children see God as relevant because they can trust that there is someone bigger who knows the best way to make things work out. When did I lose that concept of God?

Do You Need A Spanking?

Have you noticed a growing trend that people tend to broker only in those commodities of God that provide instant return – love, grace, mercy, forgiveness? Rarely does anyone equally welcome His moral attributes that cause us to flee into the rocks in fear of His holy presence. Relating to God demands that we have a holy reverence for Him that moves each one of us as His children to value God with all our soul’s ability. Only through encountering the total of God’s moral nature are we given the ability to form a proper response that is remotely worthy of Him. Embracing God’s truth, justice, righteousness, goodness, and holiness are the only means by which we as hopeless sinful individuals will ever appreciate Christ’s love, grace, and mercy. Only with this godly perspective can we run to Him for forgiveness when we are faced with the fear of wrath or discipline.

The wrath to come is God’s judgment, condemnation upon the children of “disobedience,” upon those who are outside of Christ’s redemptive grace. Paul admonishes the Roman Christians to note that “it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience” (Col. 3:6 NASB). Paul continues to assert, “the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Rom. 1:18 NASB). While chastisement is God’s loving discipline upon His errant children, “My son, do not scorn the Lord’s discipline or give up when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son he accepts” (Heb. 12:5–6 NET).

Many possess a distorted view of God’s holiness while wrongly assuming that His love, grace, and mercy somehow stay the hand of His holiness, justice, and righteousness. God is hence presented as one who “winks at sin” and is portrayed as an indulgent parent. Such teaching betrays the essence of God’s moral nature and does little more than encourage sinners to believe they are saints and saints to living little better than sinners.

The truth is God has established holiness as the moral standard by which to enter into fellowship with Him.

This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:5–7 ESV)

The problem is that apart from Jesus’ redemptive care, administered to us through His gospel applied to our souls by His Holy Spirit and actualized within our lives by His divine unction, we are incapable of connecting to God. A desperate dependence upon the grace of Christ forms the foundation for relating intimately to Him in relational communion.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. (1John 1:8–2:2 ESV)

As our advocate Christ intercedes on our behalf before the Father because He has pleased the Father through His sacrificial death on the cross. The Bible sets forth that “in Christ all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross” (Col. 1:19–20 ESV).

As our heavenly parent, Christ chastens His children so as to bestow upon us His holy heart.

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Heb. 12:7–11 ESV)

Perhaps the most frequently chastened sin in Scripture is the issue of unbelief, when God’s children murmured against Him and /or moved away from Him to God-substitutes thereby committing idolatry. Is this not still the pattern that is most seen among Christians today? Christians attempt to place God on notice that He has not pleased them. Protest follows as they seek a God-substitute to foster having their own way.

God, as in the Old Testament, chastens His children that they might learn to trust Him.

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears. (Heb. 12:12–17 ESV)

God has no higher concern and espouses no greater agenda than to promote Jesus as preeminent within our lives. Thus His grace is dedicated to this mission. Grace cannot be manipulated or exploited to achieve our own selfish ambition, nor will it be subservient to our vain conceit. Grace resides securely within the heart and mind of God, having no other master, and can be wielded by none other than His hand.

Insight Journal
I need to ask for forgiveness from God because I wanted God to serve me on my terms when…

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

As A Little Child

“An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest” (Luke 9:46 NIV).

“When he [Jesus] was in the house, he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the road?’ But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest” (Mark 9:33, 34 NIV).

We read these verses and marvel that the disciples could be so petty after Jesus had just announced his coming persecution and death. “…he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, ‘The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise’ ” (Mark 9:31 NIV).

Jim Rosscup, in An Exposition on Prayer, postulates

Several things could have led to the question. (1) Jesus had spoken in His great sermon about being greater in the kingdom (5:19), later of being least in the kingdom (11:11). (2) Jesus had singled out Peter, even promised him keys to the kingdom (16:17–19). To wield keys in a king’s palace was to have position with authority giving access to various rooms. Other things, too, could naturally provoke the curiosity. (3) Three disciples were distinguished in going to the Transfiguration, nine not selected (17:1–13). (4) Conviction is building among the disciples that Jesus is the Messiah (16:16). The three had even heard the Father attest Him (17:5). And Jesus has just given Peter the illustration of a king and his sons. (5) Jesus singled Peter out in providing tax money for Himself and this one disciple (17:27).

Too often people gripe about who the pastor spends the majority of his time with, or joust to gain recognition from prominent individuals in order to feel significant. While complaining that there are “favorite pets” people vie for that sacred position themselves, all the while protesting that everyone should be treated equally. However, Jesus life did not exhibit that example. He chose disciples to invest His time in (Matt. 4:18–22), and committed the spreading of the Gospel message to them (Matt. 28:16–20).

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. (Matt. 18:1—5 NIV)

Matthew 18, then is about pleasing God and having a status He approves. A prayer question in curiosity about who is greater in pleasing Him receives Jesus’ answer in criteria of pleasing Him. These flow in attitudes of humility, receptivity, discipline and forgiveness. …they are to view what pleases Him as He assesses it in them, in a servant’s attitude. This is to be humble, dependent on and receptive to Him, prizing His will in self-control and disciplining others, and forgiveness. In essence neither entrance into nor eminence in the kingdom is due to human greatness. It is a privilege conferred by God’s grace. It is not by people deserving but by their dependence. The quest is not really status by the followers’ worthiness, but submission to His will. At the core is not seeking high achievement, but submitting in a humble, helpless attitude—that is, not grasping for self but giving oneself away to God and to others in ways that please Him. (Rosscup)

The Life Application Study Bible notes in reference to Matthew 18: 1–4:

It is easy to lose our eternal perspective and compete for promotions or status in the church. It is difficult, but healthy, to identify with “children”—weak and dependent people with no status or influence.

Jesus used a child to help his self-centered disciples get the point. We are not to be childish (like the disciples, arguing over petty issues), but rather childlike, with humble and sincere hearts. In what areas of your life do you tend to struggle with childishness? In what ways are you making progress with childlikeness?

Insight Journal
Am I willing to become “as a little child” and dependently trust Christ even though it may mean that I will have no status or influence?

Christ Is Relevant to Unity

Oneness with Jesus produces unity with each other.

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:1 – 3 ESV).

What does it mean to be eager? We anticipate with delight a good many things; Chocolate, bicycling, camping, time with our children, and the list may go on and on. But how many of us can really say that at the top of our list is an eagerness to keep the "unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace"? Some are too busy creating disunity within the body of Christ, therefore the thought of maintaining unity is lost to the almost good intention which slightly emerged somewhere between “I ought to…” and “I should…” and “maybe next time.” The sad truth is that being “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” is not part of our daily agenda.

The admonition however is clear; we are to be eager to keep the peace that has been committed to us by the Holy Spirit of God. Unity serves as the benchmark of our divine kinship. To be one with Christ is to be one with all Christ represents, and with all who are one with Him.

The issue of unity is so essential and implicit to Jesus that wherever unity is found, there you will also find Christ in the midst of it. Union with Christ, as evidenced by the traits of such a connection (the Epistle of 1 John delimits these traits), becomes the foundation for all fellowship within the body of Christ and is the litmus test for anyone claiming to be Christ's follower.

This notion of being unified in the Spirit, with all that Christ represents, is completely fulfilled in possessing the love of Christ within our hearts and expressing the love of Christ to others. See 1 Corinthians 13:1 – 3 and 1 John 4:7 – 21.

Oneness with Jesus compels us to connect to each other.
What compels someone to possess an earnest desire to be a steward charged with maintaining the health and welfare of unity? To be the keeper of the light that has been lit by the Holy Spirit? Would it not be that very Spirit that lives within us that moves us into a concerted oneness with each other?

Unity and union are elements comprising intimacy afforded by a common identity while establishing family connection. Unity (the state of being one) is the process producing the condition of our union (the state of being united). Unity is what God is achieving through oneness within the hearts of His children, while union is the resulting condition being established between His children within His Spirit. Unity and union are not merely synonyms but rather are various dimensions of the relational matrix. Unity is caused by oneness with Christ compelling the condition of union to exist between His children.

Oneness with Jesus prompts a sharing of our unified faith with each other.
The issue now is how do we enter into oneness? The answer is that we must have a unifying identity (being in Christ), leading to an unbreakable intimacy (being of Christ) motivating a uniform industry (being compelled by Christ).

The prepositional phrase “of the Spirit” is genitive in case and is certifying that this unity has originated from God's Holy Spirit and is given by the redemptive process of grace, bestowed by the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ. It is He who is working within and between the children of God bringing all His children into the unity of the faith.

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:11–13 NIV).

Unity possesses a very unique and distinct signature. Peace is the bond offering proof of who we are in Christ and to whom we belong. Peace asserts that we are children of God birthed by the Bride of Christ – the Church.

Peace is the evidence of those who are dependent on Christ to provide the ability to cope with the problems, pain, and perplexities of living. In the midst of conflict we can experience the absence of fear, dread, and impending doom as we rest in the presence of His safety, tranquility, and contentment. A continuous relationship with Jesus Christ overflows with peace that comes from entrusting every struggle to Him. There is strength in knowing that while all around us is in flux and failure, Jesus provides a spiritual stability beyond the normal boundaries of this existence. We experience peace in the presence of finding Christ relevant to our situation even when we cannot be in control.

You will keep in perfect peace
      all who trust in you,
      all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
Trust in the LORD always,
      for the LORD GOD is the eternal Rock” (Isa. 26:3–4 NLT).

Our relationship with each other is to draw directly from the well of Christ and to drink inter-personally of the water of everlasting life. As we are with God through Christ Jesus—at peace, we are to be with each other—“in the bond (or ties) of peace.” With identity establishing intimacy, peace in this context, now compels the family of God to the industry of sharing their intimacy with each other—sharing with one another the peace that has been received from their bond with Christ that now has become the bond between them. Being reconciled with God results in possessing a bond with our brothers and sisters in Christ, as those whom have been reconciled through Christ to God. Being at peace with Him is now what people of faith have in common. It is our bond—the shared uniqueness that is therefore shared between us.

Insight Journal
1. Based on my behavior, do I value keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace?
2. Does my life demonstrate oneness with Jesus and unity with my Christian siblings?
3. Do I possess the bond of peace with Christ and in my relationships with others?


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

Bearing with One Another in Love

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love…” (Eph. 4:1-2 ESV).

Paul continues unfolding the process of spiritual development for one who is walking worthy of his call. He now urges the Ephesians to combine patience with the process. A worthy example of what Paul is admonishing is found in the words of Jesus.

“You have heard that it was said, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist [to set one’s self against, to withstand, to oppose; Strong’s Concordance] the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.” (Matt. 5:38 – 42 ESV)

Many have looked upon this passage thinking that Jesus is being very unreasonable to demand such a resolve in the face of abuse. Yet their understanding of His teaching misses the sentiment of what Jesus is actually challenging us to do. Jesus is admonishing His children to realize that patience is a trait unique to God. But patience is greatly misunderstood as being something more akin to passivity, or being passively compliant, or simply resigning to the desire of another. Yet patience, as an evidence of the fruit of the Spirit, possesses qualities directly from God’s own DNA.

Patience is the fruit of the Holy Spirit that enables us to persevere under pressure. Patience maintains the virtues of love, joy, and peace when faced with the pressures of wrong, mistreatment, or taxation. When pressed, patience does not retaliate but rather addresses the underlying motivations of the soul. By His fruit of patience, the Holy Spirit moves us to look to Jesus for strength, giving the ability to forbear in circumstances that would otherwise deplete our resolve. Therefore it is not surprising that the child of patience is forbearance. Bearing with one another in love evidences the life that patience prompts us to live within the Spirit. As humility brings forth gentleness, so patience produces forbearance.

Delusional, would be the characterization of anyone who thought they could exemplify the virtue of patient forbearance apart from God’s divine enabling. As a virtue of the Spirit of God, we must receive patience from God as opposed to attempting to manufacture it from within ourselves. In our own efforts we simply suppress our frustration while over compensating with continued availability in view of gaining status with man or God. Therefore forbearance must arise from Christ who is working to accomplish His good pleasure within the lives of those yielded to Him.

Patient forbearance is the process of being personally empowered by God’s divine enabling to regard as sacred the relational pathways that allow us to journey among our spiritual kin, while on mission for God. We are to remain ever faithful to God in regards to what He wants us to accomplish in another's life. Not allowing any discontinuance within the relational connection between our spiritual siblings and us. We are to be a vigilant source of God's grace to each other within the body of Christ. Therefore we should not to allow issues to emerge as obstacles to God's love flowing through us to each other.

We must be careful to remain dead to sin while not allowing our interpersonal issues to animate the flesh, whereby we are once again empowered by the nature of sin within us, giving way to selfish-ambition and vain conceit. Forbearance is an example of godly enablement.

The difference that separates godly enabling from ungodly enabling is whether one is moved towards personal empowerment through obedience to God's Word, or rather being encouraged to continue traversing and travailing within their sinfulness while using attention and influence to escape their consequences. At the point where enabling does not yield the fruit of righteousness, we are to move to exhortation with truth confronting sinfulness while asking the probing question, “What does your behavior say about your relationship with Christ?” All the while continuing to forbear with them through their choosing Christ’s Redemptive Process over Self's Redemptive Process.

We are to hold others accountable to godliness, allowing others to bear the weight of their sin's consequence, while exposing, exhorting, enlightening, enriching, establishing, and encouraging with truth.

Seeking to please over ministering to each other is a sure means to breaking the unity of the faith used to undermine the patient forbearing process. The process of pleasing others works only to establish expectations of one gaining some reward for their labors. When disappointment arises, the prospect of pleasing another turns to contempt for the other. We are to forbear in love and not in a pathological waltz of manipulative interaction with each other, so as to gain some semblance of worth for ourselves.

“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Gal. 1:10 ESV).

Insight Journal
Am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? How can I be a better servant of Christ?


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

Gentleness: The Living Out of Christ Within

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness… (Eph. 4:1 – 2 ESV).

How do I conduct my life with gentleness?

Gentleness is given expression through humility. The conjunction "and" tying gentleness with humility is a logical connective emphasizing that gentleness is that which humility produced. One therefore cannot conceptualize gentleness apart from casting it from the mold of selflessness. Whatever can be said of gentleness is brought forth from a selfless soul and lived out within the confluence of Christ likeness and death to self.

Gentleness is therefore the fruit of the Holy Spirit that enables us to reflect God’s grace to the world. Grace is God's power to live that enables us to fulfill His will and be complete. The transforming presence of Christ establishes the order of our souls so we can convey God’s grace through gentleness. As God’s Spirit produces gentleness in our lives, He establishes our attitude, fashions our approach, and directs our actions with others. When we are blessed with the fruit of gentleness, His abundant supply must overflow into the lives of others. With humble selflessness we are compelled to transmit His power to live. We cannot be content with merely possessing the attitude of gentleness, but as representatives of God to others, we must display His fruit through our actions. “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom” (James 3:13 NASB).

Gentleness draws it's essence from living within the confines of brokenness, where one has given up their willfulness in order to be ruled by God's benevolent authority. The gentle live to accomplish God's good pleasure as the Spirit of Christ guides their way into being bearers of His grace to others.

Gentleness promotes God's position yet does not participate in any selfish ambition hidden within the carnality of the flesh's agenda. Selfish ambition stands opposed to the soul of gentleness, and with vain conceit propagates self's redemptive process. Without God’s grace, selfish ambition would assert, “I must be served”; “My way must be followed”; and “I am right.” According to selfish ambition, having control over life’s resources is seen as the priority and must be the object of life’s pursuit. Selfish ambition is not concerned with the welfare of others but with the power we have over our domain. It is through this perception of strength that we derive our sense of self-sufficiency. With continuous resolve we persist in our selfish ambition.

Conversely gentleness recognizes the power which one possesses as present to serve God's purpose, and utilizes such influence to accomplish God's plan within the lives of those in need. Jesus exemplified gentleness when He asserted, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matt. 11:28 – 29 ESV).

Jesus emphasized, "I am gentle and lowly in heart." The dative case noun literally means "in relationship to the heart I am gentle and lowly." The virtue of gentleness is not merely a good deed that is given God's blessings as it is being committed. Rather gentleness is derived from a heart that has been given to Christ, bearing fruit created and formed in His image which engages people in a redemptive manner prompting rest for their souls.

Gentleness is therefore characterological in nature and does not exist in deed if it first does not rule in the heart. Gentleness expresses the heart of Jesus in the glory of grace so that others may experience Christ's excellence through our relationship with Him.

We can exemplify the fruit of gentleness when we relinquish our selfish ambition. Enabled by the Spirit, I can reflect God’s grace. “Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth” (2 Tim. 2:25 NLT).

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


Insight Journal
I fail to evidence the Fruit of the Spirit of gentleness when ...

How Can I Be Humble?

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility…” Eph. 4:1-2 ESV.

Do you have the tendency to defend, promote, or preserve yourself? Do you strive to be seen in the best possible light? Do you always want to be right and viewed as successful? The extent to which you engage in promoting your self is the evidence that you are lacking in humility.

When confronted with sin, the human condition seeks to respond by excusing the issue of sin or explaining the episode surrounding the sin, all for the purpose of escaping any exposure to sin. Selfish ambition and vain conceit are pervasive within our normal course of life, creating such a condition of heart where humility is a rarity. Humility as a construct has been so marred by self-centered intent that its meaning within our culture is obscure.

To prove this point, simply ask anyone to define humility. The response you may anticipate will be a very blank look followed by a random attempt to provide an answer. Most of the answers will be from previously heard sermons articulated without personal experience with what is being tendered. The reality will become obvious that humility is not apart of our social norm.

Christians today substitute humility for a pretense of being right. Thus within a conflict the modern day Christian seeks how they may best promote themselves while posturing to look the most righteous within the conflict. Therefore eliminating the need to be humble for being right. Such a demeanor concerning humility would demonstrate how far from the true meaning of meekness we have strayed.

There is a chasm between our theology and how we treat others, between our doctrinal faith and our deployment of our faith, between our position in Christ and our practice of Christianity. To appreciate this expanse, just consider that anything not done in love is preformed through selfish ambition. To understand the potency of this point simply read the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1 – 7:29). Here you will be shown by Christ the nature of the issue. Consider the Beatitudes as a sample.

And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
      “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
      “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
      “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
      “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
      “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
      “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
      “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
      “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
      “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. (Matt. 5:2 – 11 ESV)

Humility is all about what I am not. One who possesses the virtue of humility discerns from within their soul, that they bring nothing to God so as to increase Him. Additionally they know that they add nothing to God so as to enhance Him. Therefore, bringing nothing to God nor adding anything to God, the humble of heart grasp that they stand before God only by the love of His redeeming grace. Humility leads the broken to understand that only by divine enablement can personal empowerment be embraced.

Pride while bringing honor, praise, and exaltation to self asserts with pious tone, "I want to do great things for God or I want God to do great things through me." Pride misses the point completely for being emerged in the pursuit of greatness—only God is great, and apart from His enabling grace and the perfecting work of Jesus Christ we are incapable of industry for God.

Industry, compelled by our intimacy with God, prompts us within our service to glorify God, to edify God's people, and to solidify God's will on earth. There is no room for self to glory in what self has done. Nor is there time for self to bask in the residual effects of accomplishment, whereby one is validated to feeling significant and secure. Humility proclaims that self has nothing to contribute.

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.

Insight Journal
1. When do I try to defend, promote, or preserve myself?
2. How do I define humility?
3. Do I agree with the statement that anything not done in love is preformed through selfish ambition?

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