Roots by the River

"His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit" (Ephesians 2:15-18). From this we find out there were two kinds of people in the world, both kinds estranged from God and from each other: Gentiles and Jews. Both kinds were sinners—sinners far away and sinners close at hand. They both needed reconciling to God through the cross. The cross put to death their hostility. Jesus Christ is our peace. He preached peace to both and died for both. Now we have three kinds of people in the world: Jews, Gentiles and the church of God (1 Corinthians 10:32).   Written June 1992. This post coordinates with today's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading Challenge . If you are not in

"Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's word is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory” (2 Timothy 2:8-10). Paul says that he is suffering for two reasons: for the gospel, and for the sake of the elect. In the middle of this, we find that “God’s word is not chained.” Isn’t that a glorious statement?   Written November 1985. This post coordinates with tomorrow's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading Challenge . If you are not in a daily reading plan, please join us at TotheWord.com . We would love to have you reading with us.

"I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen” (1 Timothy 1:12-17). Notice that Paul was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man. We are quite sure that he was not an adulterer, or thief, or liar. He would have said so. He did

"Of making many books there is no end" (Ecclesiastes 12:12). A serious temptation accompanies the widespread availability of Christian books, blogs, and podcasts. Because so many Christian books have been written about a multitude of subjects, it is far too easy to turn to a Christian book before opening the Bible. Books written by Christians are profitable only when they are approached as a supplementary , not primary, source of guidance. True godliness is cultivated in those who labor in the Scriptures, for there we find the Lord's counsel (2 Tim. 2:15, 3:15-17). Luke commends the saints in Berea who measured the teaching of Paul and Silas against the Word of God: "These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily do find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11). The Bereans are a good example to all of us who desire to pattern our lives according to God's

“Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:5-7). At different times in my life, this paragraph has had both immediate and long-term results. As I look at it again today,* every word seems to be charged. Here are a few words from the paragraph to focus on to aid your study and your meditation: gentleness; anxious; thanksgiving; transcends; guard. I think you will find this method of study and meditation—concentrating on certain word—to be a major help in your Christian life.   *Written October 1988. This post coordinates with tomorrow's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading Challenge . If you are not in a daily reading plan, please join us at TotheWord.com . We would love to have you reading with us.

Restitution is for people under grace. Here’s why. Suppose I am not a Christian and am short of money. So I go into the First National Bank and hold it up. I put $100,000 in my bag and walk down the street. I come to a park where there is open-air preaching going on. There is singing, testifying, and preaching, and a crowd of people listening. I join the crowd. I am convicted of sin and call on the Lord.  After the meeting, I go up to the preacher and say, “I did what you said. I prayed to God. I feel wonderful! What does that mean?” The preacher says, “That means you have been born again.” “What does that mean?” “It means your sins have been forgiven.” “Oh,” I say. “How many?” “All of them!” “All of them?” “Yes, all of them.” “Oh boy,” I reply. “Now I can enjoy this $100,000.” “What $100,000?” “In my bag. I just relieved the bank of some extra money.” The preacher looks at me. “Let’s take it back.” “What do you mean, ‘Take it back’? You just told me I’ve been

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us" (Romans 5:1-5). This is a paragraph of causes and effects. There is another list of causes and effects in Romans 10, where the list is given in rhetorical questions. "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who

“Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?" (Rom. 2:4). That is an understatement; men do not realize the connection between kindness and repentance. In this culture, we think of repentance responding to a harsh message, not a kind one. Notice the correlation in 2 Timothy 2:24-25: “And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone , able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance, leading them to a knowledge of the truth.”   Written September 1985. This post coordinates with tomorrow's reading in the To the Word! Bible Reading Challenge . If you are not in a daily reading plan, please join us at TotheWord.com . We would love to have you reading with us.

"He who is estranged seeks pretexts to break out against all sound judgment. A fool takes no pleasure in understanding but only in expressing his opinion” (Proverbs 18:1-2). When I am estranged or separated from the Lord in fellowship, the last thing I want to hear is sound judgment. I will barricade myself against it. But since I cannot barricade against sound judgment with sound judgment, I must do it with pretexts—shallow, surface, weak things which deceive only me. It is my attempt to stay estranged. If the searchlight of sound judgment breaks into my hideout, I find myself confessing, forsaking, and no longer estranged but restored to the Lord. During my estrangement, I take no pleasure in understanding, but I am very eager to express my opinion. After I am back in fellowship, I am amazed how stupid I was with my opinions. How I regret my big mouth. Truly it is foolish.   Written January 1986. This post coordinates with today's reading in the To the Word! Bible R

Is restitution also required in the New Testament? Yes. Zacchaeus returned fourfold to the people he had cheated. Restitution is repentance in action . Repentance is more than just a word. “Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost’” (Luke 19:9-10). David knew this truth when he responded to Nathan’s story of the rich man who stole his poor neighbor’s pet lamb to feed his guest: “David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity’” (2 Samuel 12:5-6). What if we cannot find the person we stole from? “The LORD said to Moses, ‘Say to the Israelites: “When a man or woman wrongs another in any way and so is unfaithful to the LORD, that person is guilty and must confess the sin he has committed. He must m

In 1932 when I was in kindergarten, I was walking home with a friend after school one day, and he told me that he would teach me how to steal a cookie. He was to stop at the corner store on the way home to buy a pound of hamburger. When he ordered the hamburger, the owner of the store would go to the back room to grind and wrap it. While the owner was doing that, my friend would go to the cookie display and open a small glass door over a bin of cookies. He would remove two chocolate marshmallow cookies, give one to me, and put the other in his own pocket. He would pay the merchant for the hamburger, and we would leave the store. Sure enough, it went just as planned. The corner store was two blocks from my home. In the first block, each of us ate our cookie. In the second block, I could feel the chocolate and marshmallow around my mouth. I licked my lips and rubbed my face. I knew my mother would see my mouth and ask where I got the chocolate. Well, she did not ask. Fifteen years la