Let it Go

 September 30, 2024

Recently I’ve tried to pick short Scripture verses for our consideration, but if I try to give you a single verse, you’ll miss what Paul has to say, so here it is:

“But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,” —Philippians 3:7-10 

This may be a familiar Bible passage, but don’t let its familiarity blind you to the seriousness of what he is saying here. Let’s begin with that little word, “but.” It has the same significance as another (longer) word found quite frequently in the Bible—“therefore.” Years ago, I had a Bible professor tell the class, “If you see a therefore, find out what it’s there for.” The same goes for “but.”

Paul has just given us his academic, social, and religious credentials, which were quite impressive in his day. Then comes this “but,” followed by these words: what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.” There is much to say about that, but for now, here’s my question: “What have you given up for Jesus?” The answer to that question says a lot about the depth of our faith.

“For,” not “By”

 September 29, 2024

Among the Scriptures I memorized when I came to Jesus was this:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” —Ephesians 2:8-10 

Salvation by grace through faith is a keystone of authentic Christianity. Why is it so important? If my standing with God is dependent on my good works, how can I know how good I have to be? I can never be certain of my salvation, and life becomes a frantic effort to be better instead of a grateful response to the love of God. We have been saved TO good works, not BY them.

What’s the difference between being saved “TO good works, rather than BY them?” When Linda and I were dating, I treated her special in order to win her love. Now I don’t treat her well in order to win her love, but because I know I have it. 

If God hadn’t already bestowed it upon us in Christ, we could never do enough to win God’s love. We already have God’s love, which means anything we do must necessarily be in response to the love we’ve already been given. 

So we work. We give the best we have, not to earn God’s love, but because we already have it. We are saved not by our works, but in order to do them.

Every

September 28, 202

“God…has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” —Philippians 2:9-11 

I’ve condensed this paragraph to draw your attention to that little word “every.” It appears three times in this single sentence: “above every name,” “every knee shall bow,” and “every tongue confess.” 

Think of what Paul is saying here. The name of Jesus is above every name; that’s easy to say, but remember, Paul is in a Roman prison as he writes. From all appearances, the name of Caesar is above that of Jesus. But Paul has a long view, and today, Caesar is no longer worshipped as he was in the day, while Jesus is revered by millions. And even now, the curtain hasn’t come down on the final act. More knees bow and more tongues confess Jesus than ever gave honor to Caesar, but we still haven’t gotten to “every.”

That day is coming, and it’s better to willingly speak the Name and bow the knee now than to do it reluctantly before the final judgment. And if you ever get discouraged, remember that little word “every.” It’s going to happen, and you get to be a part of it now.

 

Humility

September 27, 2024

We don’t like the word humility. It is too close to humiliation, and most of us have experienced that. But humility is different. It is simply taking an accurate assessment of yourself and being willing to take less than you think you deserve. Someone once said humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less. I think that’s a pretty good definition. After all, it’s what Jesus did. He knew who he was, but refused to take advantage of it. That’s why Paul writes:

“…And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” —Philippians 2:8-11 

Jesus spoke of humility this way:

““When you are invited by anyone to a … feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.””

—Luke 14:8-11

If you exalt yourself, sooner or later someone will come along and put you in your place. That’ll be bad. If you humble yourself, sooner or later someone will come along and put you in your place. That’ll be good.

 

What’s in a Name?

 September 26, 2024

“God also has…given Him the name which is above every name…”

—Philippians 2:9 

Why is the name of Jesus above every other name?

When we are young, just starting out in life, we haven’t had time enough to accumulate much in the way of financial resources. With college loans, car loans, mortgages, etc., we usually go in the opposite direction adding debt upon debt. When it comes to paying bills, instead of writing checks like Linda and I do, our kids and grandkids use debit cards and apps. But the principle is the same.

If your credit limit on your card is $5,000 and you spend more than that, you’ll be in trouble. Your name on that card isn’t worth $5,000 to the credit card company. But if I gave you my card with my name on it, you could charge much more than $5,000. Why? Because I have the resources to cover the debt, and to the credit company, my name is worth more than yours.

When it comes to life, our names mean nothing. Spiritually speaking, we are in debt, which is why Jesus teaches us in his prayer, “forgive us our debts” (which is the original word in Matthew’s gospel). Our account is empty, but Jesus’ is full of his righteousness. Our name is nothing; His name is everything. Our spiritual account is empty; his is full, and he puts HIS name on our account.  THAT is why his name is above every other name. That is why this is Good News!

What Is Your Name?

 September 25, 2024

“God also has…given Him the name which is above every name…”

—Philippians 2:9 

In the Bible, names mean something. Abram means “exalted father,” but when God changed his name to Abraham, it meant “father of nations.” Jacob means “cheater,” but God changed him into Israel, “a prince.”

My name James is a form of Jacob; my last name Bailey is from the Old English where the bailey was the most secure part of the castle. I’ve spent my life trying to live out of my first name and into my last.

The name Jesus means “Savior,” and not just any savior. When Paul says that name is above every name, he doesn’t intend us to use the Name as a talisman, as if something magical happens when we say, “in the name of Jesus.” Instead, he is declaring that there is no authority greater than Jesus. If you have claimed the name of Jesus for yourself, you have been given a new name, “Christian,” which means “Anointed,” or “Chosen One.” Remember that when some lesser authority attempts to dictate what you must or must not think, do, or believe. 

The Mind of Christ

 September 24, 2024

The Scripture for today is short, but needs its context to understand it:

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,”

—Philippians 2:5 

Here is the context:

“who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

—Philippians 2:6-8 

Very simply, Paul is telling us what “the mind of Christ” looks like. I know plenty of Christians who go to all sorts of lengths to win an argument, belittle those who disagree with them, manipulate others in order to get their own way. Truth be told, all of us have done one or more of these at one time or another. But that’s not the way Jesus thinks. 

Jesus thinks in terms of humility, obedience, and self-sacrifice. He wants us to do the same.

The Gift

 September 23, 2024

Since it contains many of the Scriptures that have been influential in my life, I want to park in Philippians for awhile. Here’s a verse we do our best to avoid:

“For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,” —Philippians 1:29 

You can see why we avoid verses like this, but they are actually pretty common in the Bible. Jesus said, “If [unbelievers] treat me this way (attack after attack), don’t be surprised at how they treat you.” At one point, he even says that it will get so bad that if the days weren’t shortened, no one would survive.  Peter tells us not to be surprised at the fiery trial that is to come.

Notice Paul’s attitude: Suffering is a gift. And it is a gift that goes hand in hand with faith in Jesus. We Americans mostly equate God’s blessings with material prosperity and smooth sailing. Jesus knows better. We prefer mountaintop experiences, but not much grows on the mountaintop. It’s in the valleys where things grow. We grow in the hard times. They drive us to our knees as easy times cannot. 

Suffering is a gift. The question is, have we unwrapped it yet, or is it still sitting under the tree?

#1

September 22, 2024

Today we move on to another Scripture that has been formative for me. It’s a short one:

“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

—Philippians 1:21 

Paul is in a Roman prison for his faith. Calling Jesus “lord” in the 1st Century was a political as well as a religious statement. Doing so meant that Caesar was not the ultimate authority in your life, which was in Rome’s thinking, treason—a capital offense. 

Paul fully understood his situation. He could be dragged out, put on trial, and executed at any moment. The day came when this actually happened, but before that as he writes, that prospect doesn’t concern him, because as he told the Galatian church, “I have (already) been crucified with Christ” (2:20). You can’t hurt a dead man, and as far as Paul was concerned, he had given up his life years ago.

In the surrounding verses, he ponders his circumstances, concluding that he would be better off dead, not in a morbid, suicidal way, but death would usher him into the presence of Christ. In the meantime, his entire life is wrapped up in Christ. To Paul, life IS Christ. Nothing else held any attraction for him. I’m working on it; not quite there yet. I hope you’re moving in that direction, too; it’s the only thing in life that can’t be taken away from you.

 

Giving Up

September 20,2024

I am not a particularly emotional person.  In fact, most of the time I don’t even know what I am feeling. So when I see people getting all teary-eyed or excited in worship, I often wonder what’s wrong with me. Add to that the many times I screw things up, I have often thought, “Well, you’ve done it this time, Bailey; God surely has had enough of you by now.” Whenever I think this way, I have to go back to the Scriptures.

“[I am] confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ;”                                                                                              —Philippians 1:6 

I take great comfort in these words because they not only give me assurance, but also reassure me about you (and others, too).

There have been many times in my life when I’ve been so discouraged at my failures and lack of progress in grace that I felt, “Why bother?” One day when I had failed miserably, I said to the Lord, “Lord, if I were you, I would be so done with me.” His response to my heart was, “Aren’t you glad I’m not you?” I am. And I am grateful for this promise that our Heavenly Father will not give up on either you or me. 

And because God never gives up, I won’t. Don’t you, either.

Ready to Receive

 September 19, 2024

“Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.”  —Ezra 7:10

Today brings the last things I have to say about this verse. Why do we prepare our hearts to seek the Lord? The first reason is because without such preparation we aren’t in a position to actually meet him. God is the Sovereign of the Universe; to imagine we can just saunter into his presence any old time we want, any old way we want, is highly presumptuous, arrogant, even. 

The second reason we prepare our hearts is for life change. We prepare our hearts to seek God in order that he may bring to us what we don’t already possess, things like forgiveness, peace, salvation, and wisdom. Failure to prepare my heart to meet the Lord would be like going to Wegmans without any bags to carry the groceries in. Without preparation, I’m not able to receive what God has to give.

The last reason we prepare our hearts to seek the Lord is that we might teach others. God is never satisfied with merely changing us; he wants us to be part of his mission to transform other people’s lives. Think of how amazing this is! God could transform someone’s life all by himself, but chooses to include us in the process. We get to be co-laborers with the Holy Spirit—can you imagine? God could do a better job without us, but blesses us with the privilege of participating in his eternal purposes.

Looking for a Reason

 September 18, 2024

Have you ever looked for something with no real intent to use it once you found it? I suspect not. There’s no sense in looking for something you don’t really want and don’t intend to use.

Remember this as you read these words:

“Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.”  —Ezra 7:10

Living out the Word of God is better than just seeking to know it, Seeking without doing is hypocrisy. We’ve all been guilty of that, often inadvertently, but sometimes blatantly. The problem with hypocrisy is that others see it long before we do, and by the time we recognize it, it’s often done its damage. 

We are in a Catch-22 here. We believe in salvation by grace through faith, so where does the doing fit in, and how do we speak of it without drifting into “works righteousness?” The short answer is simple: Doing the Word of God is the evidence of our truly believing it. We aren’t in the business of academic learning, but life learning. And we don’t live the Christian life in order to be saved, but because we are already saved.

It’s like this: I serve my wife not to earn her love, but because I already have it. We “seek the Law of the Lord” and serve Jesus for the same reason. 

Indirect Revelation

 September 16, 2024

“Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.”  —Ezra 7:10

When I read this verse, a single question comes to mind: “How can I prepare MY heart to seek the Law of the LORD?” I’m tempted to give stock answers—Read the Bible, pray, worship together, etc., but it’s possible to do all that and not genuinely be seeking God. It’s a matter of my deeper desire.. The real question is, “What is our God really like? How has he chosen to reveal himself?”

Ezra gives us a clue when he says he prepared his heart to seek (pay close attention here) the LORD not directly, but by seeking his Law. When we try to seek God directly (through visions, experiences, dreams, etc.), we become vulnerable to all sorts of illusions and deceptions. Who is to say God isn’t, as an addict once said, a “purple violet squish?” God can reveal himself directly, but has chosen the more indirect route of the prophets and Jesus Christ, as recorded in the Bible. So we start there. Here is a Scripture to get you started:

“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” —Hebrews 1:1-3

Reflect on this for awhile, then ask what God is revealing to you about himself.

Prepared

September 15, 2024

“Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.”  —Ezra 7:10

Yesterday I asked how you are preparing your heart to seek God. But what does that mean, and how can we do it? First of all, consider the reason we need to prepare: 

““The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.” —Jeremiah 17:9-10 

We need to prepare our hearts because they are deceitful and wicked. I don’t need to look at anyone else to know this is true. All I need is to look inside me. It’s easy to imagine everything’s OK, but if I’m honest, I know it really isn’t. When I allow God’s Word to expose me to his standards, which are always different than our own (Isaiah 55:8-9), I learn quite quickly that I fall far short of where I want and need to be. Even when I try my best, my heart can easily take me down a road to a dead end. 

If I fail to prepare my heart to seek God, I’ll always end up seeking a god of my own imagination instead of the One True God revealed in the Scriptures. That God can be uncomfortable, which is why I need to prepare to meet him. Even though I know he loves me, I often feel like the unruly student called into the principal’s office. I need to prepare. And when I do, instead of the scolding I anticipate, I find grace, forgiveness, and love.

 

Prepare

September 14, 2024

 I’ve been thinking about various Scriptures that have been particularly influential in my life over the years, and thought I would share them with you. Some are from years ago; others from quite recently. I’ll begin with one of the latter.

“Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.”  —Ezra 7:10

Many religions have elaborate rituals that prepare the worshipper to enter the temple of their god. Cleansing ceremonies, special garments, fasting and prayers are but some of the things one must do to be ready for an encounter with their god.

Most of the old mainline Christian traditions have similar rituals, the understanding being that as sinners (even redeemed sinners), we can’t just waltz carelessly into the presence of a holy God. While some of these rituals may be a bit overdone, the Bible has many references to our preparation for worship. One example: Moses was told to take off his sandals at the burning bush because it was holy ground. If the dirt can be holy, how much more the God who made it?

I’m not advocating for special rituals, religious vestments, or such, but this word from Ezra is important. It’s not just our bodies that must be prepared; it’s our hearts. So what are you doing to prepare your heart daily to seek God?

Safe to Suffer

September 13, 2024

In “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Susan asked Mr. Beaver about Aslan. Mr. Beaver assures her that Aslan will deliver Mr. Tumnus and set everything right in Narnia. She is surprised to learn that Aslan isn’t a human, but a lion; in fact, THE Lion. Now she’s nervous about meeting him, and asks if as a lion, he is safe. Mr. Beaver’s response is classic literature and good theology. “Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

We’ve come to the end of my musings on lions in the Bible. There is more that could be said, but Mr. Beaver’s word is what is really necessary. Aslan isn’t safe. Neither is Jesus. Those who have fiercely followed him often met a grisly end, with persecutions, deprivation, exile, torture, and death. We have become accustomed to our American comfort, and often confuse ease of life with God’s blessings. No—following the Lion of the tribe of Judah isn’t safe, but he is good, and powerful, so that St. Paul can say, 

“I also suffer… nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.”                                                             —II Timothy 1:12 

He is able. Never forget that. He is able, and is good, and will not lose or forget what we’ve committed to his care. And that includes our very souls, which is why I pray for people every day with confidence.