THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD IN THE SALVATION OF MAN

The story is told of a young seminarian attending his first theology class when a “fight” broke out. He listened intently as the class of upperclassmen staked out their positions on freewill and predestination. The division was so intense that the groups separated, each to their own corner of the room. The new student weighed the points made, and though he still had many questions, decided that the predestination group was more in line with his views of what Scripture taught, so he walked over and joined them. These veterans of theological debate looked at the novice and asked, “Why did you come to join us?” He answered, “I came of my own freewill.” Immediately they howled, “Then you don’t belong with us—go away and join the other group!” A bit dejected at first, he trudged over to the other group, that quizzed him on arrival, “So, why have you decided to join up with us?” His response was, “I was compelled to come.” They yelled at him and shoved him, “Then you don’t belong with us!” The poor fellow was left standing out in the cold, feeling like he didn’t belong in either camp!

That’s where you may be today in this discussion that has often led to discord and division. You’re not sure about this business of freewill and predestination. Yet, we cannot and should not avoid the subject that is thoroughly biblical. For instance, Paul wrote these words in Romans 8:29-30:

29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

This week we are going to attempt to crack open the door and invite you in from the cold and into the warm light of God’s truth. We will seek to say what God says and try not to say more (nor less) than what He says. Sometimes a subtle danger to the preacher is to attempt to read between the verses and impose his own thoughts on the text or to skip over the difficult verses and focus on those requiring little in the way of controversy. As concerning our salvation, we must affirm Divine sovereignty and on the other hand, human responsibility. Neglecting the former is to make God our servant and man the Lord as God waits for our response before He acts to save us, and to deny the latter is to make those created in His image to be mere puppets manipulated by fatalistic strings. As in most Biblical truth, it is very narrow—a tightrope where we must maintain balance, lest we fall into error. Only with the grace and wisdom of God can we hope to grasp such lofty concepts. Let us pray for the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth, even as Christ promised.

GOD’S PLAN FOR YOUR FUTURE: FINDING TRUE SUCCESS

Today, my eldest son, Christopher, graduates from The College at Southeastern with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Biblical Studies. His immediate plans are to enroll in the Master of Divinity program of Southeastern Seminary in the fall. Beyond that, his current plans are to become a Christian counselor. But, who knows where the road of life will take him?

Being a child of Dennis and Marilyn Thurman means that we are very proud of him. Being a child of the King means there is a plan for him. Whatever the will of God might be, to find, follow and finish that plan is true success. Through it all, God is at work, shaping His son into the image of His Son—the ultimate prize! Paul framed it this way, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” (Romans 8:28-29)

Until the final destination is reached in heaven, there is an assigned course for us on earth. God raises up special people for select purposes in specific places. His Spirit calls us and equips us—leading God’s children along. We must convey this Biblical truth to young folks. Graduates need to be shown this pathway to true success.

It must be known that the outward, visible signs of success that men celebrate are not necessarily those which God commends. Mary poured expensive perfume on the feet of Jesus and the carnal-minded Judas Iscariot branded it, “A waste.” There have been those who have poured out their lives for the cause of Christ in some desolate realm, unseen by the world, unappreciated by men, and unrewarded on earth—and relatives and friends roll their eyes and call it, “A waste!”

Such is the apparent case with William Borden. Perhaps you are familiar with Borden dairy products. That was his family. He was the heir to the Borden estate—valued at millions in a time when that was real money. A sharp young fellow, he was primed to take over the family business. But he spurned it all for the call God had placed in his life. He was compelled by the will of God to give his life to sharing the Gospel. He would give his life as a missionary—but without ever seeing any notable success. In Cairo, Egypt he contracted disease that would kill him. In his last days, gripped by fever, he wrote these words in the flyleaf of his Bible, “No reserves, no return, no regrets.” He died at the age of twenty-four. The typical response then, and still heard today is, “A waste!”

But such a life is never wasted. “No reserves” all spent for God. “No return” no turning back. “No regrets” nothing wished to be changed. True success is not measured in baptismal records, biographies published, buildings erected, and such. Those things may accompany success, but maybe not. God’s perspective is all that matters, “So don’t make judgments about anyone ahead of time—before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due.” (2 Cor.4:5 NLT).

Find, follow and finish God’s will—then you will have found true success.

GOD’S PLAN FOR YOUR FUTURE: A CONDITION TO FOLLOW

Some would look at the promise of Romans 8:28 as an unconditional promise, when closer examination discloses there is actually a condition. See, if you can detect it: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

You must be a child of God, and that is defined as one who loves Him and has answered His call to follow Christ. To the degree that each of these is fleshed out in day-to-day living, we can know such a fulfillment of the promise in either meager or abundant measure.

God will accomplish His plan for your future and will make you one day to be like His Son. That is the end of His eternal purpose for you. That is stated in Romans 8:29, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” The crucial issue is whether heaven will only necessitate a “minor tune-up” or a “major overhaul.”

Spiritual progress in Christ-likeness now requires:

THE PURSUIT OF A PASSION FOR GOD “to those who love God…”
There is no greater goal for us than to love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. You can have a genuine passion for God that doesn’t diminish across the years, but intensifies. I am still zealous for God. I am still captivated with Christ after over 30 years of seeking Him. You will miss the plan of God for your life if you don’t have a passion for Him.

THE PURSUIT OF THE PURPOSE OF GOD “to those who are the
called according to His purpose.”
God might call you to work in a factory or teach in a school. He might call you to a pulpit or send you to a mission field. He might call you to be a soldier or call you to be a homemaker. What I know is that He has a purpose for your life and is calling you to be the best Christian you can in that place. God can use you to help change your circumstances, but what is assured is that He will use your circumstances to change you!

Notice that the love relationship precedes the life calling. As Steve Green sang, “To love the Lord our God is the heartbeat of our mission; the spring from which our service overflows.” You can work for God out of duty without delight, but if there is devotion to God, we will always fulfill our duty to God.

GOD’S PLAN FOR YOUR FUTURE: A CONFESSION OF FAITH

Stuff happens! There is a lot of stuff that happens! Some of that stuff is good stuff and some of it is bad stuff—but, it is for sure that our days are stuffed with stuff.

Viewed in isolation, we get tired of so much stuff. In particular, we don’t want the bad stuff. Sometimes the bad stuff seems to overwhelm what we call good stuff. That is where the child of God must not walk by sight but by faith—leaning on Scriptural promise rather than sensual perception—trusting not in human reason, but in heavenly revelation.

That is the Apostle Paul’s challenge to us in Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” We can only say that as a confession of faith because some of the stuff of life cannot be called good and doesn’t make much sense. But, God’s plan for your future is to take all the stuff of life, whether we see it as good or bad and work it together for our good—every single event that comes our way.

If I gave you a few cups of flour to eat, you wouldn’t enjoy it. Trying to get down a cup of shortening would gag you. Several cups of baker’s cocoa would be so bitter you’d spit it out. What if I stirred up a few raw eggs? Not many would want to swallow them. How about eating a stick of butter? I do have a daughter who would eat sticks of butter like candy bars when she was little. I won’t say Kasey’s name for fear of embarrassing her. No wonder she couldn’t keep her socks from sliding down! But, I digress. Maybe if you ingested a few cups of sugar, that would be ok—but even that much pure sugar might be sickening. Yet, to mix all that together and bake it in an oven is to get chocolate cake—yummy!

That’s how God will take some disappointments, discouragements, difficulties, detours, dead-ends and defeats and mix them with some sweeter times and bake it all in the oven of trials at just the right time and temperature—but the result is His good plan for your life. We may not understand God’s ways, but this is where faith comes in—we can confess our confidence in God’s plan. You can trust the omniscient Baker who does all things well! When the timer goes off, the heat is turned off and the door into heaven is opened—you will be like Jesus!

GOD’S PLAN FOR YOUR FUTURE: A CONVERSION TO FAITH

Romans 8:28 is a precious promise to the child of God. It says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” God has a plan for your future! He will bring that plan to fruition, yet, that promise is conditional. I must be a child of the King before I can be an heir to the throne!

Here is the message I shared with the graduates of our church last Sunday and a message that all of us need to hear. It begins with a question: “Do I know for certain that I am a Christian—the real deal—a genuine follower of Christ?”

There is a story Jesus told in the thirteenth chapter of Matthew’s Gospel that can help clarify the matter,

1 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

Christ not only gave us the parable—He explained it:

18 “Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22 Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

So, the true child of God is:

ROOTED IN AUTHENTICITY.
They are not like the hardened soil that doesn’t allow the seed of the Gospel to even penetrate. There are a lot of young men and women who are in high school and college that are in that very category. They have dismissed the claims of Christ and find the church irrelevant. They aren’t necessarily hostile to faith—though some are—they just are unconcerned. One would suppose that to be highly unlikely for church kids, but the possibility remains that some might be in church just because their parents made them go and as soon as they walk out of their house, they will walk out of the house of God also, for their heart is hard and rejects truth. Indeed, all the seed of truth sown through their growing up years never penetrated, and Satan, as a malevolent bird, has swooped in and devoured the seed. They are unfazed by it all—a tragic possibility.

NOURISHED IN COMMUNITY.
A true believer, furthermore, is not like the shallow soil that, having emotionally responded, turns from Christ when challenges come and problems arise. Their testimony is tested and found fraudulent. Statistics say that many of our youth are like that. About 8 of 10 upon graduation from high school “graduate” from the church also. There will be challenges that place the young church member’s professed faith in a crucible to prove its reality and quality. In college, it is likely that some professor will deliberately try to undermine faith. Many will find their alleged commitment to Christ withering under such heat. But not all of them will—and the good news is none have to become a casualty of such statistics. Even a few who stray for a time, will eventually return to the flock.

Our spiritual life is nourished in community. You need to remain in a strong community of faith. Some of Pole Creek’s graduates will go to college in the area and can continue to come here and be part of our Singles’ Ministry, while others must find a community of faith where they go off to school. If you can walk away and stay away then you never knew Christ. Consider these sobering words in 1 John 2:19, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.”

CULTIVATED IN REALITY.
One that has a true conversion to faith in Christ, is not like the weed-infested soil that chokes out the potential in the plant. These are the weeds of the world—the pursuit of possessions, pleasure and power. Many graduates will give themselves to pursuing “the American Dream.” Now, there’s nothing wrong with wanting success in life, unless we leave God out—unless we allow the pursuit of the material to choke out the spiritual.

Jesus spoke to this issue many times. Once, talking to a wealthy young aristocrat, the Lord summoned him to turn from a covetous heart and with a committed heart to follow Him. He walked away—choosing the material over the eternal. The sobering question is, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36). The world will either conform you to its ways or the Word will transform you to God’s will. The seed will be overcome or the seed will overcome. We live in a real world with real temptations, right where Jesus has us to make a difference.

14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. (John 17:14-18)

You won’t make a difference unless you are different. The reality is that you will get on one side or the other. You will be assimilated by the world system or the pressure of truth within you will overcome the pressure of society about you. That brings us to the fourth type of soul soil.

FRUITFUL IN SOCIETY.
The mark of the true child of God is their spiritual fruit—they become like Christ. They hear the Word, understand it and bear fruit—it works powerfully in them. It is true, that there are varying degrees of fruitfulness, but the fact remains that it is impossible to be born-again and be barren. God makes champions that can change their world. He wants you to be one. There are, thankfully, great possibilities among our students.

As to our white-headed folks—the “Greatest Generation” (as Tom Brokaw once called them) they are fading fast—few of them remain alive today. What a legacy they left! My generation didn’t do so well. We consumed the blessings and have become spiritually bankrupt. The consequence is the small number of a younger generation that know Christ. The good news is, however, that those who do, are some of the most committed disciples this world has seen for a long time. The Spirit of God by the Word of God summons us to follow Christ and lead others to Him. Will you—both young and old—hear His voice? Receive the seed of truth and be fruitful and multiply!

GOD’S PLAN FOR YOUR FUTURE: A CONVICTION OF FACT

For those who are graduating from high school or college, these are busy days and big decisions as they plan for the future. It is a time when their mind is a jumble of possibilities, and one finds it a challenge to know for sure where to go and what to do. All of us—young or old face times like that.

But, there is a beacon of light that can cut through the fog. It is the realization that God has a plan for your future. This we can say emphatically A CONVICTION OF FACT. Paul begins Romans 8:28 by saying, “And we know.” It isn’t that possibly God has a plan for your life, or even that probably God has a plan for your life, but that positively, absolutely He does! This we declare to you by the Word of God.

For those who are sons of God, they will one day become like the Son of God. God is in the business of making us like Christ—and all that happens in this life is directed to that outcome. You cannot fully grasp Romans 8:28 apart from 8:29. Here’s what the verses say, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” God is building a new race of men—not defined by the color of their skin or designated by the country of their origin—but rather by virtue of a spiritual birth into the family of God.

Thus, the critical question becomes, “Do I know for certain that I am a Christian—the real deal—a genuine follower of Christ?” If that be the case, then we can say with conviction, “And we know that all things work together for good….”

PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT: DEPTH

Here is a pathetic, public confession: so much of my praying across the years has been shallow and without specificity. I have offered too many generalized prayers that generally didn’t get answered—too many, “Bless this…bless that” without saying what kind of blessing I sensed God leading me to request. Even if He sent the blessing, I may not have recognized it and offered thanks for it, there was such a lack of clarity to the petition.

I’m trying to do better. But I find, that even so, the world distracts my attention, the flesh divides my affection and Satan defies my appeals. But all is not lost—there is a way to overcome our lack of power in prayer—our impotence—and our lack of perception in prayer—our ignorance—to desperately cry to the Holy Spirit and experience a spiritual depth in prayer that rockets our pleas into the heavens!

I remind you again of Romans 8:26-27, “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”

There can be depth to our prayers and if there is to be height there absolutely must be! NASA can send the space shuttle into the skies because of a launching pad that is immensely strong and incredibly deep. They have to build depth before lift-off.

How substantial are your convictions in the promises of God? How steadfast is your reliance on the Holy Spirit? How solid is your commitment to pray when you feel like it and when you don’t; when you are articulate and when you aren’t; when there is liberty, clarity and authority and when there is struggle, ignorance and weakness?

Men and women pray—pray always—pray and go deep so that the petition rises up! The bigger the payload, the deeper you have to go.

PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT: DIRECTION

God knows what we do not know. He sees into a future we cannot see. The all-wise, sovereign Lord knows how answering our prayer might have implications on others, far beyond anything we could dream possible. Some of the best answers are those God denies. We may ask for something we think would help and it would actually hurt. Other good answers are not just those that are denied, but that are delayed. It may be a matter of timing—that if God granted the answer today, it would be bad, but granted tomorrow is best.

Then, there are times the burden is so heavy we cannot articulate it, even if we knew what was best, and all we can do is groan. This is how Paul put it in Romans 8:26-27, “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” There is a lot of groaning in this world, and ample mention in this chapter: the groan of creation in sin (Rom.8:22), the groan of Christians in suffering (8:23), and now the groan of communion in supplication (8:26). But, the Spirit of God takes our feeble prayers and translates them into a powerful petition to God, and always according to His will.

We have two children—our oldest daughter and youngest son—that have juvenile diabetes. That means—barring a miracle—they will be insulin dependent the rest of their lives. Each day, numerous times a day, they must prick their finger, check their blood and inject insulin. If they don’t get enough insulin then they are endangering their lives should the blood sugar go up and stay up too high. But, there is also the risk of too much and the blood sugar dropping to hazardous levels. It is an inexact science.

One night, our son Corey was going into hypoglycemic shock in his sleep. What we heard from him was groaning. He was helpless to tell us what was wrong and helpless to do anything about it. But we knew what the groans meant and what needed to be done! We got some syrup in his mouth and got him awake enough then to eat a bit and he was fine. We responded to the groans!

So, God’s Spirit hears our groans, when we are burdened and don’t know what to say. Have you ever been there—when all you could do was groan? I have experienced that—weeping, writhing on the floor, weary and worn, and all I could say at best was, “Oh God!” and “Dear Jesus help!” Then, the Spirit lifted my groans to glory and presented a powerful plea to God in perfect harmony with His will.

The Spirit not only gives us passion and power in prayer, but purpose in prayer. He gives us the desire, dynamic and direction for prayer. He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.

PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT: DYNAMIC

Did we not learn as children to sing, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so; Little ones to Him belong, they are weak, but He is strong”? Yes, we are weak—but He is strong. God’s Spirit within not only gives as a passion for prayer, but gives power in prayer. Consider these words from the pen of Paul, “Likewise the Spirit also helps our weaknesses.” (Romans 8:26a).

Philippians 2:13 speaks to this, “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” He doesn’t just produce the desire “to will” but the dynamic “to do.” My very praying is an acknowledgment of my weakness. I depend on God for everything.

Jesus taught us this truth in the Model Prayer. He said we depend totally on God for daily bread, “give us this day our daily bread”—I wouldn’t have a crust or even a crumb without His provision. We depend on Him for debts forgiven, “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors”—I cannot remove the stain of sin apart from His mercy. Likewise, I rely on the Lord for direction given, “lead us not into temptation”—I will make disastrous decisions if left to my own devices. We must lean on God for deliverance granted, “deliver us from evil”—I can’t beat the Devil, but God can. To sum up the message in that: He provides everything in every dimension of life.

The only other time the Greek word rendered “help” in this verse is used in the New Testament is the scene where Jesus is at the home of Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha, in Bethany. Martha is working herself into a lather in the kitchen, trying to prepare a meal for Christ and His sizable entourage. Wiping her hands on her apron, she sees her sister Mary, just sitting and listening to Jesus and she asks for “help” from her sister. It’s the same word. She wanted little sis to get up and come beside her and assist her.

Jesus called the Holy Spirit, the “Comforter”—the Paraclete—literally one called alongside to help. So, when we pray—feeble, frail mortals that we are—the Almighty Spirit comes and stands beside us, to strengthen our supplications. How thankful we should be!

PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT: DESIRE

Praying in the Spirit provides desire. This counteracts the poverty of prayer generated by selfish indifference. In Romans 8:15, we read, “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ ”

God’s Spirit draw us heavenward and gives voice to our praying. As a little child, we raise our hands to a loving Father and cry, “Abba!” We do not approach Him as cringing slaves, but confident sons!

Apart from God’s gracious activity in us, there will be no passion for the things of the Spirit. Our lives will be given to material pursuits, our minds will be consumed with carnal pleasures, and our energies will be directed to worldly passions. It is the presence and power of God’s Spirit that raises our perception to see spiritual matters in a different light and that realigns our passions to set spiritual affections on a different love.

Paul wrote in Phil.2:13, “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” Jesus always modeled that very spirit. He had the kind of impetus that drove Him to pray with intimacy and intensity. In Gethsemane, Jesus prayed these same words, “Abba, Father” (Mark 14:36). This was but the climax of a life given to passionate and persistent prayer. In that He sets the standard for us. But, trying to follow that pattern by self-effort is doomed to failure. We will either become self-righteous hypocrites who offer ritual prayers to impress others or just stop praying altogether, despairing at our futility to pray as we ought. The good news is that we don’t have to try in the energy of the flesh to be like Jesus—Jesus lives in us. My heart is His home! His Spirit expresses His prayer through His body!

This is praying in the Spirit. He generates the desire within us to pray. God’s will is expressed through our voice as we call upon Him.

PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT

We spend more time talking about prayer to each other, than we do talking to God in prayer. I was listening to a message from the late Dr. Adrian Rogers that stimulated my thinking as to the nature of this dilemma.

Knowing about prayer, confession that we need to pray, but still our struggle to actually pray—and to pray effectively is a sad reality, despite the fact that:

PRAYER IS OUR GREATEST PRIVILEGE. Imagine—the God of the universe invites weak humans to bring their needs to Him and to do so with courage and confidence. PRAYER IS OUR GREATEST PRIORITY. There are many things we can do after we pray, but nothing until we pray. PRAYER IS OUR GREATEST POWER. Prayer can do all that God can do, for it taps into Omnipotence. But, the sad fact is that PRAYER IS OUR GREATEST POVERTY. Studies have shown that the typical church member spends only a few minutes a week in prayer.

There are no excuses we can offer for this spiritual bankruptcy, yet there are several reasons for it:

1) Indifference. My old flesh has no interest in the things of God. It rebels against the thought of dependence on God.

18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.
19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.
20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.
(Rom.7:18-21).

2) Interference. It has been said that, “Satan trembles when he sees, the weakest saint upon his knees,” so he will fight you to keep you from praying. When we pray we have entered into the arena of spiritual warfare.

22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
(Rom.7:22-23).

3) Ignorance. We don’t know how to pray and what to pray about. Though we know need to pray, we don’t know where to begin. “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Rom.7:24).

Even when we pray we often pray cross-purposes to God’s will or have prayers that arise out of our carnal desires that rise no higher than the ceiling. The solution? Paul makes this pivotal point at the end of fleshly frustration in trying to act “spiritual” in Rom.7:25, “I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.” He then moves into the discussion of the Spirit-filled life in Romans 8. This is true spirituality, and at the very core of it is the reliance on the Holy Spirit that comes with prayer. Scripture enjoins us to pray “in the Spirit.” In Jude and in Ephesians and here in Romans 8, Paul calls for Spirit-inspired praying. This week we will examine in detail what that means. Don’t miss one lesson!

THE BIRTH OF HOPE
OUR GLORY: THE PERSEVERANCE WE EXPRESS

There is an unusual—even arresting—expression penned by Paul in Romans 8:24-25:

24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?
25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. (emphasis added)

The Apostle startles us by saying that we are saved by “hope.” We usually speak of being saved by faith. So, what does he mean?

Let’s begin by being clear about what he doesn’t mean. Paul isn’t talking about a hope so, maybe so salvation, where you ask someone if they are going to heaven and they answer, “Well I hope so.”

No! God wants us to experience a “know so” salvation! “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,” (Rom.8:15-16).

The Greek word for hope means a settled matter. This hope is as certain as the promises of God, rooted in the One who cannot lie—He who is utterly faithful. It is the "blessed hope" of the return of Jesus Christ (Titus 3:13). In that hope is the consummation of our salvation. We are not only saved from the penalty of sin (justification) and from the power of sin (sanctification) but from the presence of sin (glorification). It is that which we look for and it is that which we live for.

The Apostle reminds us here of the invisible, spiritual and eternal nature of this hope. We cannot see it now. It is hidden from the realm of the senses and is harbored in the region of the spiritual. What we see around us, with the eyes in our head, makes us heartsick. Our perils, our problems, our pains—this mortal dimension is permeated with decay and death. No hope there! Scripture calls us to see with the eyes of our heart and that gives us hope. All this present groaning will not merely pass away, it will pave the way for glory! A life filled with such hope enables us to persevere to the end—we know what the end will be--our heavenly hope; our heavenly home! No more sin, sickness, suffering, or sorrow. All tears are wiped away by the loving hand of Omnipotence.

Hallelujah! What a hope we have as heirs of the Eternal Kingdom!

Milestones to Disaster

Just the other day, I read this and felt compelled to share it with you—a brilliant assessment of our times:

The year…reached almost the end of its third quarter under the promise and appearance of increasing prosperity, particularly in the United States. Extraordinary optimism sustained an orgy of speculation. Books were written to prove that economic crisis was a phase which expanding business organization and science had at last mastered. “We are apparently finished and done with economic cycles as we have known them,” said the President of the New York Stock Exchange in September. But in October a sudden and violent tempest swept over Wall Street. The intervention of the most powerful agencies failed to stem the tide of panic sales. A group of leading banks constituted a…pool to maintain and stabilize the market. All was vain.

The whole wealth so swiftly gathered in the paper values of previous years vanished. The prosperity of millions of American homes had grown upon a gigantic structure of inflated credit now suddenly proved phantom. Apart from the nation-wide speculation in shares which even the most famous banks had encouraged by easy loans, a vast system of purchase by installment of houses, furniture, cars and numberless kinds of household conveniences and indulgences had grown up. All now fell together. The mighty production plants were thrown into confusion and paralysis….the grievous pangs of falling wages and rising unemployment afflicted the whole community, engaged till this moment in the most active creation of all kinds of desirable articles for the enjoyment of millions. The American banking system was far less concentrated and solidly based than the British. Twenty thousand local banks suspended payment. The means of exchange of goods and services between man and man was smitten to the ground, and the crash on Wall Street reverberated in modest and rich households alike.

It should not however be supposed that the fair vision of far greater wealth and comfort ever more widely shared which had entranced the people of the United States had nothing behind it but delusion and market frenzy. Never before had such immense quantities of goods of all kinds been produced, shared, and exchanged in any society. There is in fact no limit to the benefits which human beings may bestow upon one another by the highest exertion of their diligence and skill. This splendid manifestation had been shattered and cast down by vain imaginative processes and greed of gain which far outstripped the great achievement itself. In the wake of the collapse of the stock market came…and unrelenting fall in prices and consequent cuts in production causing widespread unemployment.

The consequences of this dislocation of economic life became world-wide. A general contraction of trade in the face of unemployment and declining production followed. Tariff restrictions were imposed to protect the home markets. The general crisis brought with it acute monetary difficulties and paralyzed internal credit. This spread ruin and unemployment far and wide throughout the globe….Government, with all their promises behind them, saw unemployment…bound up in their faces from one million to nearly three million. It was said that in the United States ten million persons were without work. The entire banking system of the great Republic was thrown into confusion and temporary collapse. Consequential disasters fell upon European countries. However, nobody starved in the English-speaking world.

It is always difficult for an administration or party which is founded upon attacking capital to preserve the confidence and credit so important…

Although contrary to their declarations, the Government abandoned the gold standard…

And very soon in these four years came Hitler.

You may have thought that you were reading today’s news, but these words were penned by Sir Winston Churchill in “Memoirs of the Second World War, An Abridgement” excerpted from pages 21-23. The multi-volume set from which the abridgement was taken was printed in 1948-1953.

When I read these pages, it put a chill down my spine. Can we not see where we are headed? All you must do is look at history—the Sacred and the secular, or as George Santayana famously said, “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

Dear child of God—pray for this nation. Pray for our world. Pray for our children. Pray for our future. Pray passionately, persistently. Unless we repent and revival comes, there only remains ruin—an hour of darkness will fall across the land beyond anything known before. It seems as though Christ’s return is at the door when He comes for His church and then judgment falls upon this planet. Do we throw up our hands in despair? No, let us raise our hands in prayer! Do we sit down and give up? No let us get to work and look up! We know what the final outcome will be for the believer and for the world. The Bible is clear on that general outline. What we do not know are many of the details of how we get to that point. What is America’s role? How bad will things get before the rapture? Will there be one great turning to God before the final countdown? We might only speculate and still be completely wrong. Here is what I am very sure of: whenever or whatever happens, I need to be found faithful! In the end, victory is assured!

THE BIRTH OF HOPE
OUR GUARANTEE: THE PROMISE WE EXPECT

In the eighth chapter of Romans, Paul tells us that creation groans. But, not only does creation groan—Christians groan. He says, “For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.” (v.22-23).

There is a groan along with the Gospel! I fear that many have responded to a faulty message with a futile faith that supposes God is some genie who exists for our comfort. Such were led to believe that becoming a Christian means no problems, no pain, no suffering, nor strife and so are shaken when the storms of life come—as they inevitably will. So, these have built their lives on sand rather than on the rock (Matt.7:24-27).

You will recall that Christ told a story about the sowing of the Gospel seed and the types of soil that that characterize the hearts of the hearers. One kind of ground was shallow and the seed quickly germinated. Yet, when the sun came up, it withered under the heat and died because the roots weren’t deep. He explained that there are those who joyfully receive the Word—there is an emotional response—but, then Jesus said, “when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles” (Matt.13:21).

Christianity isn’t for sissies! Wimps need not apply. Life is tough. Everybody faces trials—saints and sinners alike. It’s part of living in this fallen world. The truth is that the toughest life of all is the Christian life. That’s why few follow Christ. Otherwise, everyone would get on board the Gospel bus. Obviously, most choose another path. Here’s why: following Christ is to walk in the bloody footprints He has left on His way up the Calvary Road. We are summoned to self-denial and to shoulder our cross (Mark 8:34).

Confronted with this, we may wonder that anyone would take this path. What would cause someone to choose the way of suffering—even more suffering than as is the common lot of humanity? It is because God guarantees eternal life in heaven—and it sure beats hell! We become the children of God by faith as we are adopted into the family of God. This makes us heirs to heaven’s riches (Rom. 8:17-18).

Hebrews 11:24-26 paints a beautiful portrait of this truth on the canvas of Moses’ choice:

24 By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,
25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,
26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.

God’s guarantee to His people is that one day the groans are going to give way to glory! That is true for creation and it is true for Christians.

Even the body will be redeemed. We know that these bodies are subject to the curse. Death is at work in us. At the age of 30, you begin to lose 9,000 brain cells each day! Have you seen any that look like mine? I seem to have misplaced a lot! The fact is that once lost, they are never regained. What is true for our brain is true for the other systems of our physical being. We are continually deteriorating. Why do you think an old sofa weighs so much? It has accumulated several persons’ weight of skin cells in its cushions across the years! When we die our bodies decompose—they go back to the dust from which we are fashioned. A little boy was taught in Sunday School the Bible truth that we come from the dust and go back to it. He later yelled out, “Mom, I looked under the bed and I want to know if that’s a man coming or going!”

Paul in 1 Corinthians 15—the great resurrection chapter—likens our bodies to seed sown in the ground. There will come a day of resurrection—the glorification of our bodies—transformation into a body like unto the Risen Christ. Here’s the guarantee: Jesus said, “Because I live, you shall live also.” The tomb became the womb for the birth of hope!

THE BIRTH OF HOPE
OUR GROAN: THE PAIN WE EXPERIENCE

The Apostle Paul, in Romans 8:22, uses the analogy of a woman in labor to describe the upheavals that convulse our world. He writes, “For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now”.

Sin, and the ensuing curse upon creation, has brought all the devastation, destruction and death we witness on a daily basis: earthquakes shaking the ground, volcanoes spewing ash into the skies, tornadoes cutting a swath of horror across the land, floods washing away possessions and people in their muddy current, hurricanes raging ashore, epidemics of loathsome diseases, drought, famine, and war. Need I say more?

The poet, Alfred Lord Tennyson framed it this way, “Nature, red in tooth and claw.” Creation itself moans and groans; it sighs, cries and dies. You can hear the sad, plaintive call in the voice of the wind. The sound of it is full of sorrow as it sweeps through the trees. One looks out the creaking windows, nearly expecting to see some ghostly specter howling in pain.

I wish I could tell you that it’s getting better, but it’s not. In fact, the closer we get to the return of Christ, the more intense the pain will be. But, that’s the way it is with a mother’s labor. The contractions that signal the start of labor are first mere twinges and brief in duration, but become more frequent, prolonged and painful until the last push and the baby emerges from the birth canal. Consider what Jesus said in Luke 21:8-28:

8 And He said: “Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My
name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time has drawn near.’ Therefore do not go after them.
9 But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately.”
10 Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
11 And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.
12 But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake.
13 But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.
14 Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer;
15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.
16 You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death.
17 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake.
18 But not a hair of your head shall be lost.
19 By your patience possess your souls.
20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.
21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.
22 For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
23 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.
24 And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
25 “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring;
26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

The very pain creation experiences is the labor that brings the birth of hope (Rom. 8:19-21). J.B. Phillips renders verse nineteen this way, “The whole creation is on tiptoe to see the wonderful sight of the sons of God coming into their own.” What a day that will be when groans give way to glory!

THE BIRTH OF HOPE

Every child is born a tiny bundle of great potentiality. That baby might grow up to be the scientist who discovers the cure for cancer, or a President that leads us to our finest days, or a preacher used to bring about another spiritual awakening, or a missionary that shakes a continent with the Gospel.

We don’t know. What we do know is that the birth of hope requires a lot of pain. In case you didn’t know, the stork doesn’t really fly in and drop a baby in a basket on our doorstep. The closest thing a mother will ever experience to death without dying is the trauma to her body of bringing new life into the world. Yesterday, we honored mothers through the observance of Mother’s Day—and we did well to do so. We are here because of what they suffered in carrying us, nourishing us and birthing us. For most, that wasn’t the end of their pain! Children can continue to hurt—though the pain is usually transferred from the womb to the heart in later years.

Understand this—there can be no birth of hope apart from the bearing of hurt. This physical reality provides an abiding spiritual principle: first there is the cross and then the crown; first, humiliation and then exaltation; first suffering and then glory. That is what we observe in Romans 8:22-25:

22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.
23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.
24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?
25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

This week we will follow our spiritual obstetrician, Paul the Apostle, as he enters the Biblical maternity ward and delivers to us the birth of hope.

LOOKING FOR BETTER DAYS:
FAITH’S CHALLENGE

Ever feel like the little Dutch boy? You plug one hole in the dike with your finger and two more appear? A torrent of troubles pours down under ominous clouds, hanging like a funeral shroud over you? Been there—done that.

Welcome to reality. Recently I have been inundated with such a flood of problems, I just wanted to throw up my hands instead of plugging holes with my fingers! This is the messy business of ministry. Sin creates problems and the church is planted right in the middle of a sewer of trouble. It is impossible to live in such an environment and not step in something—and it gets tracked onto the church carpet!

Every week the spiritual custodial staff—church leadership—has to clean and clean and clean. Thankfully, the cleansing Agent is sufficient to remove the foulest stain! Christ never tires of cleansing sin. We, who apply the truth that blots out the stain, however, sometimes grow, “weary in well doing” (Galatians 6:9). If that were not a possibility, Paul would not have warned us to guard against it!

So, what will sustain us? How can we face the challenges of life and rise above them? Faith will give us eagle’s wings and enable us to see our trials from a higher perspective! When faith is challenged by the downward drag of life’s burdens, it spreads its wings and soars (see Isaiah 40:31).

If we walk by sight and live according to circumstances, we will be crushed by the burdens of life. But, if we live by faith, we will take the long view of eternity and testify with Paul,

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not
worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the
revealing of the sons of God.
20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but
because of Him who subjected it in hope;
21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
(Romans 8:18-21)

Faith tested and triumphant!

LOOKING FOR BETTER DAYS
THE SPIRIT’S LIBERTY: ANTICIPATION

We have every right to be looking for better days! God has promised! The Spirit has set us free from the guilt of our past, the worry of the present and the fear of the future and has filled us with the joy of past forgiveness, the peace of present provision and the hope of promised glory. Just listen to the liberty we anticipate:

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.
20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. (Romans 8:18-21)

Paul, the Apostle, lists three contrasts in these verses:

FROM SUFFERING TO GLORY (v.18)
Suffering in the present is an undeniable fact of living in this fallen world. Last weekend, as I was typing these words, I got a message on Twitter from Lifeway’s President, Thom Rainer, “Flood waters rising in our home. We are 4 hours south of Nash. Doesn’t look good for the house. I will praise Him in all things.” Here is a man who has invested his life in faithful service to God, and this week he’s been trying to salvage what the floods didn’t destroy. Being a dedicated servant of God doesn’t make us immune from suffering, but we know that whatever hell we have is confined to this life and it will be heaven forever, while whatever heaven a sinner has will only be experienced now and hell is forever. When we weigh in the balance temporal trouble with eternal enjoyments, the sufferings of this life are as dust while the weight of glory to come is beyond calculation.

FROM FUTILITY TO HOPE (v.19-20)
Whether it be tornadoes in Mississippi, earthquakes in Haiti or floods in Tennessee, we observe that creation is in convulsions—the calamity of the curse. Creation didn’t ask for it—it became subjected to it because of Adam’s rebellion against God. Yet, even so, there is hope for better days! He has a plan where futility will give rise to hope. Evil will be overruled and God will take the worst and bring about the best. We see this on Calvary, where Christ became a curse and in so doing brought hope to the world. God will reverse the curse in all its effects!

FROM CORRUPTION TO DELIVERANCE (v.21)
Everywhere we see the corruption and contamination wrought by sin. Disease, deterioration and death mark the effects of evil. There was a beautiful Easter Lilly blooming with rich fragrance on my front porch. But, as the days have gone on, the flowers began to wither and turn brown—till now, not one bloom remains. That is the course of nature—the downward drag of corruption. But there is a day of deliverance appointed when Christ returns! Eden’s flowers will bloom again and paradise lost, will be regained.

I’m looking for better days! How about you?

LOOKING FOR BETTER DAYS
THE SPIRIT’S LEGACY: ADOPTION

Last Sunday, we observed Senior Adult Day at our church as we celebrated the legacy of faith being prepared by our older saints. Pole Creek has been so blessed down through the years by the heritage of faithfulness of those who have gone before us. Each year, more cross over to the other side. Yet, they are still with us—in the godly wisdom, walk and works which abide with us through their influence that remains. We’re grateful to God for them, but we only glory in the God who in grace saved them and equipped them to serve Him. Enduring legacies are rooted in the eternal!

In Romans 8:15-17, the Apostle Paul points to the Spirit’s legacy:

15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

There are two elements of this legacy that are presented in this text:

OUR GRACIOUS RELATIONSHIP—A TESTIMONY (v.15)
Death and judgment are fearful thoughts—horrifying—to the lost person. Those outside of Christ live for the temporal and are in bondage to fear concerning the time when this life is over. That isn’t the testimony of the saved. We have received adoption into the family of God--once an outcast, but now a child of the King! We cry out, “Abba, Father.” That is an Aramaic word—one that a Hebrew toddler would use as his or her first words of tender affection to Daddy. I loved to hear my babies when they said, “Da Da.” We may be sure, that God delights to hear from us. This is our testimony of a gracious relationship: adopted into the Father’s family.

OUR GLORIOUS RICHES—A TREASURE (v.16-17)
Coming into a royal family means we have all the rights and privileges of being a child of the King! One day, Christ will come into full possession of the kingdom and we will reign with Him! We fret about the economy, when our Father owns everything and someday you will inherit everything. If we take up the cross now, there will be the crown then: suffering and then glory! That is always the sequence. Jesus set the pattern and now we follow in the way of the cross, but it is the way of the cross that leads home—tears and trials that turn to treasure and triumph!

LOOKING FOR BETTER DAYS
THE SPIRIT’S LEADERSHIP: AFFIRMATION

If you are a child of God, you need have no fear of death. Do you know that if you were to die today and stand before God that He would welcome you into heaven? That date with death and judgment is coming. God doesn’t want us to dread it, have doubt of it, but delight in it.

God gives us affirmation that we are His children. There are several the Scriptures suggest, but in Romans 8:14, Paul mentions one: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” This is the witness of the Spirit within you. He has led you to Christ by calling us to repentance, He has led us to life in Christ by converting us in regeneration, and now He is leading us to the likeness of Christ in righteousness. “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,” (Rom.8:16). How does this affirmation come?

DEATH BY THE SPIRIT

The Apostle presents this affirmation of true faith in Romans 8:12-13:

12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

The Bible is clear that the Christian is under no obligation to follow the cravings of his or her sinful nature. We know from our study of Romans 7, that Christians—even spiritual giants like Paul—struggle with sin. Yet, there is the possibility of victory in Christ’s power. Even in their struggle and sometime setbacks, they are “overcomers” rather than being overcome. God’s child has repented of sin—there has been a radical realignment of life so that it can only be described as a new birth. You may not be all that you ought to be, but you are not what you used to be—if you are saved. Romans 7:22 finds Paul confessing, “For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.” Can you truthfully say that?

If something walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and looks like a duck—it’s a duck! If your life is dominated by sin—you are a sinner. Now, if the Holy Spirit indwells you, holy living should mark you (8:7-10). The Christian has died to the old life—positionally (Rom.6:1-7). The question then becomes, “How can I experience this practically?” Romans 8:13 tells us it is “by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body.” Death to the self-life isn’t a matter of me trying to kill these passions. It is a work of the Spirit. You can’t crucify yourself! You can kill yourself in a variety of ways—but you can’t crucify yourself. Someone else has to do it for you. This is God’s work.

DIRECTION BY THE SPIRIT

Romans 8:14 stresses, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” What could be plainer? The lost person is directed by the passions of the flesh, the pressure of the world and the power of the devil. This is their mindset, motive and manner of life. Not so for the child of God! Their minds are directed by the Spirit through His Word. Their motives are driven by the Spirit through His grace. Their manner of life is defined by the Spirit in the fruit He produces.


Those who are God’s children have every reason to look for better days! Those who do not have life in the Spirit will only have days of horror rather than hope should they go into eternity unprepared.

Do you have the witness of the Spirit?

LOOKING FOR BETTER DAYS

No matter what you are going through—no matter how bad things may look—for the Christian, there are better days ahead. One of our members, Tom Brandon handed me an article last week from an old Pole Creek newsletter reaching back to when Virgil Holloway was pastor in the ‘70’s. Tom’s wife, Barbara, recently died. She had saved this article for all these years and now it was so helpful to Tom in his grief. It was written by another Pole Creek member, now in heaven, Glenn Stamey. Listen to his encouraging words:

GOODBYE WORLD

“For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.” (2 Tim.4:6).

We have so cluttered up the way out of this world for the born again, with tears, sorrow and mourning; with undertakers, caskets, hearses and graves; with long faces—ashes to ashes and dust to dust—that the born again Christian can hardly think as he ought of the most wonderful journey in all the world—the one from earth to heaven. The weeping is done on the wrong end. The born again person, who has left this world, is the one who should do the weeping and the sorrowing for those who have to stay here—rather than you weeping for him because he had to go.

Look at Paul. Can’t you see the aged man Paul lying there on the damp floor in the dark, propped up against the cold, wet wall? No wonder he sent for his old overcoat which he had left in Troas. You see, Paul was going to dine with the King. The sound of the footsteps of the executioner was music in his ears. I see him rising as he hears the rattle of the key in the lock of the dungeon door.

Now, why can’t all old-aged Christians everywhere be of such a jubilant mind and have the same holy glee as the aged Paul did? And besides, you’ll have better health over there. It’s a much more healthy climate than here. There are no hot summers or cold winters over there. It’s better eyesight, better hearing. The flower has sweeter fragrance. The songs are sung by all without discord. The air is a tonic. The days are long—there’s no night there.

Where is the person who would not be willing to start toward that place of eternal beauty and peace, when God calls? It’s the place where Christ is. Some will say that if it were not for leaving my friends, I wouldn’t mind it. Christians—if you are fifty years old, then you have three times as many friends on the other side. Yes, we love those departed loved ones, just as much today as we ever did. As Margaret and I walked down to the casket to look upon our 4 year old daughter for the last time in this world, Margaret said, “Goodbye Baby, I’ll see you in the morning.” How true—we’ll see her in the morning.

Thank God for His Son who took that word death and ground it to pieces—and together with our sins—has cast them all behind His back (Isa.38:17), so that now it is departure—not death. But that’s for the born again—those who have passed from death into life. Yes, and it’s for you too, sinner, if you will take Paul’s Savior,and my
Savior—the One altogether lovely as your Savior. Then you can say, “For I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand.”

The man Glenn wrote about, Paul, penned the words of Romans 8:12-21 which will be our focus this week. He was a man always looking for better days—expecting the best is yet to come!

Hear the excitement for eternity in his voice:

12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children,then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.
20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who
subjected it in hope;
21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

May God use His word to intensify our heartbeat for heaven!