Romans 12:2 We were created for a time such as this!

Let love be without hypocrisy. Hate what is evil. Cling to what is good. Living in the ways of Christ we stand against evil. We do not call evil good nor good evil. We stand in the faith that Holy Spirit gives us and the power of God for good in the lives that we touch. Stand firm and watch God work! Carla

Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:9-18 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. 14  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15  Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16  Be of the same mind toward one another.  Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. 17  Repay no one evil for evil.  Have  regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you,  live peaceably with all men.

Conformed means “to form” or “mold.” World is the normal word for “age” or “era.” Instead of being molded by the values of this world, the believer should be transformed, that is, changed by the renewing of the mind. Spiritual transformation starts in the mind and heart. A mind dedicated to the world and its concerns will produce a life tossed back and forth by the currents of culture. But a mind dedicated to God’s truth will produce a life that can stand the test of time. We can resist the temptations of our culture by meditating on God’s truth and letting the Holy Spirit guide and shape our thoughts and behaviors. The NKJV Study Bible

This age refers to the present evil age (Galatians 1:4), the time prior to Christ’s return. Renewal of your mind refers to mental conformity to the truth of God. This renewal results in a transformation in the life of the believer. The perfect will of God describes  the purpose of renewal and transformation. 

Israel had failed to recognize God’s will and purposes—that He was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:19). Paul provides this instruction so that the Roman believers will not do the same. Faithlife Study Bible

Ephesians 4:23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 

1 Peter 1:14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 

1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 

Ephesians 5:17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 

Ephesians 5:10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.

I do enjoy watching Les Miserables (Victor Hugo's great novel of betrayal, and redemption). There is a scene at the end of the movie version when Javert (the obsessive fanatic police inspector who has tracked Jean Valjean) has Jean at gun point, "It's a pity," he tells Jean, “The rules don't allow me to be merciful."

Let’s push the pause button here.

“Don’t allow me to be merciful.” Yes. Because that's exactly what happens when our identity is owned by fear.

We can be constricted—not allowed—by “rules”, or creed, or public opinion, or fear of punishment, or the need to just fit in. Regardless, we don't listen to—or trust—our heart.

So. This week is about a Paradigm shift.

You are on holy ground. We are “a cluttered house that hides the Holy One”.

As opposed to, we see only the circumstances (and the labels attached). We can focus only on anger, or cruelty, or destruction, or “no mercy” and assume that is the whole reality.

When that happens, we give way to “scotoma”, meaning, we see only what we want to see.

And we miss what is fundamental: “You are on holy ground.” Beneath me, enabling me, grounding me. When I recognize and honor that, I can choose from that nourishment (fuel), meaning I can choose—make decisions—from, and with hope.

In other words, I’m not simply reacting, or needing to fight fire with fire, or hate with hate. 

An overture of grace, coming from a reservoir deep inside. Amen. “Sabbath Moments” Terry Hershey 

Biblical hope is an expectation, not just a longing. A person can long for something with no real anticipation of fulfillment, but true hope is an active expectation that what is longed for is assuredly going to happen. Titus 2:13specifically calls us to wait for "blessed hope." The Greek word for "blessed" is makarios, which also carries the connotation of "happy." We are to wait in happy expectation that the object of our hope, the glory of Christ, will unquestionably appear.

His promise is steadfast and trustworthy. He is not unsure, and He does not waver. Our blessed hope is in God's indisputable assurance that the glory we have so long anticipated will burst forth, the person we have so long missed will appear, and we will be like Him (1 John 3:2).

Our certainty of Jesus' reappearance is established by the first appearance of His grace that brought salvation to us. As Titus 2:14 says, He "gave himself for us" to purify our hearts and make us "a people for his own possession." The word "possession" here does not mean a thing that is manipulated but an inheritance that is cherished by Christ.

Scripture also describes how Jesus cultivates us like a Gardener. He tends, protects, and prunes His people to be fruitful in righteousness (Philippians 1:11). He is the vine, and we are the branches that bear fruit by abiding in Him (John 15:5), growing eager to do good works that spring out of love for Him and from Him.

"Waiting for our blessed hope" (Titus 2:13) is the perfect balance of rest and effort: rest because Jesus has already provided everything for our salvation, effort because we want to show we are His. There is no pressure to perform, only the desire to show off Christ's work as we wait in happy hope. There is no burden, no chore, no striving that secures our salvation. Instead, being "zealous for good works" is a gift to us and others while we wait (Titus 2:14),training us to be more like Jesus (Titus 2:12). First5

Galatians 5:16-26 Only through the power of Holy Spirit can we live in the ways of Christ.

Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 

Colossians 3:12–17 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do

God’s love in the gift of salvation covers a multitude of sins…ours.

Galatians 5:16-26 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

If we see a professing Christian who exhibits the works of the flesh pray that their eyes will opened to the ways of God. Blessed are the feet of those who share the peace of God in Jesus Christ with all who will accept it. If we believe in Him we should strive to live in the commands that He gave us. We are to love God above all and share His love with all of His creation by loving  others as much as we love our own families. God wants no one to live without Him in their lives. We love others because  God  first loved us! Carla

Live by the Spirit refers  to being under the Spirit’s direction and empowerment. The Greek word meaning “flesh” refers to the part of human nature that causes people to put their own selfish needs ahead of everything else.  The Spirit and the flesh are not in a stalemate. The flesh does not frustrate the desires of the Spirit; rather, the Spirit frustrates the desires of the flesh. The Spirit and the law represent mutually exclusive ways of living. Either people live according to the flesh by satisfying its desires, or they live according to the Spirit of God in a manner that reflects His character. 

Paul lists key characteristics in verses 22–23. The law can define and identify sin, but it cannot provide the power to resist sin. Nor does the law instill within people the concerns, desires, and character of God. 

However, believers are not left on their own. They have been given the Spirit of the living God to empower them against sin and to transform their hearts and minds.

More than half of the works of the flesh listed here denote forms of possible conflict among people. While this list is not exhaustive, it adequately represents life apart from the Spirit. 

Deeds of the flesh refers to the sinful actions of human beings who put their own selfish needs ahead of others. 

Each item in this list refers to ungodly or unlawful sexual actions. The Greek participle here, prassontes, is used in the present tense, referring to people who continually orient their lives toward deeds of the flesh. 

The kingdom of God refers to the domain in which God is king. In the Bible, believers extend God’s reign through obedience, loyalty, and love. 

Those who orient their lives toward the flesh will not inherit the kingdom of God because they have established a kingdom of their own. 

The fruit of the Spirit  (verse 22–23), which contrasts with the works of the flesh (verse 19–21), is not exhaustive but representative. These traits describe the desires and characteristics that God cultivates in believers through His living presence. The phrase “fruit of the Spirit” in this context refers not to “spiritual fruit,” but to “fruit that the Spirit produces.” This latter translation best supports Paul’s argument that the production of godliness in the life of the believer does not require the law; it is empowered by God’s Spirit. When the life of the believer expresses these qualities, there is no need for the law. 

Those who “live by the Spirit” (verse 16) produce fruit reflecting the character of God that the law could not (3:21). However, this list shouldn’t be turned into a new kind of law (a replacement for faith in Christ and life lived by the Spirit). Through faith, believers participate in Christ’s death and resurrection, leaving behind their orientation toward selfish desires (2:19–20).

It is not enough to claim to have new life in Christ by the power of the Spirit believers must continually follow after the Spirit in the way they live while also resisting the flesh.  Faithlife Study Bible

The only consistent way to overcome the sinful desires of our human nature (the flesh) is to live step-by-step in the power of the Holy Spirit as He works through our spirit (verse 25). 

Shall not is a striking promise. Walking each moment by faith in God’s word under the Spirit’s control assures absolute victory over the desires of our sinful nature. 

The potential of the flesh energized by Satan in the life of the Christian should not be underestimated. Given free rein, the flesh will direct our choices, making us do what we know we should not do. This inner conflict between the flesh and the Spirit is very real, but there is considerable disagreement as to its precise meaning. Some believe that flesh here refers to a “sinful nature” continuing after salvation, while others view it as simply the physical flesh and its natural tendencies. Still others focus on the “fleshly” or “worldly” habits and patterns that continue after justification. The desires of our flesh are at odds with what the Holy Spirit desires for us: to be free from sin. 

The works of the flesh include, but go well beyond, the destructive contentions and jealousies portrayed in verse. Where there is such behavior, it is positive proof that the person is not living in the power of the Holy Spirit but is being energized by Satan and his hosts (Matthew 16:23; Acts 5:3).

There is a question here whether Paul means specifically the works done by a person’s regenerated human spirit, or works done by the Holy Spirit Himself in the believer’s life. The fruit analogy is reminiscent of Jesus’ teaching on the vine, branches, and fruitful harvest (John 15:1–5). 

Christians are spiritually “crucified with Christ” (2:20). They no longer have to follow the values or desires of the world (6:14). However, it remains difficult for Christians to apply this spiritual reality to the passions (affections) and desires (lusts) of the flesh (verse 16). Those who have mastered these sinful desires are those who have kept their focus on God. In these verses, Paul exhorts the Galatians to walk in the Spirit because they are already living in the Spirit. Such an action should be natural, but unfortunately we are at war with the flesh. Walk in the Spirit means to obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit. A believer following the Spirit’s lead (verse 16) will not become conceited, provoke others, or envy others. The NKJV Study Bible

Romans 7:7–8:39 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead…

Romans 13:13–14 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

Grace is undeserved favor. God's Word, and specifically scriptures written by Paul, teaches that God's grace is a free gift, not earned by works (Romans 3:24; Ephesians 2:8-9).

In Titus 2:11, he wrote, "The grace of God has appeared." In other words, grace has physically become personified as a living being: the incarnate Jesus Christ. Grace was on full display when God sent His Son to live, die, and rise again for the sins of the world, bringing salvation and "training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age" (Titus 2:12).

Because Jesus, "the image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15), has graciously demonstrated God's character and nature to us, believers are able to discern godliness from ungodliness. As we do, God trains us to turn away from anything that displeases Him, runs counter to His character, opposes His will, or suppresses His Truth. Not only do we avoid sin, but we outright reject it. Worldly passions like sexual immorality, evil desires, and greed are to be "put to death" (Colossians 3:5).

Believers are able to pursue godliness because we have the transformative power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us! By His power, we can live as Christ lived: Being "self-controlled, upright, and godly" is the fruit of a God-honoring life (Titus 2:12).

Godly living does not mean we are earning grace; it means we are learning from grace. God has graciously saved us from the penalty of our sins, and we continue to rely on His grace day by day as we are saved from the power of sin and "conformed to the image of his Son" (Romans 8:29). We are being trained and sanctified, learning to become more like Jesus.

And as we reflect His character and nature, sin begins to grieve our hearts as deeply as it grieves His. Believers are free from the eternal consequences of sin, and the Bible cautions us not to use our freedom "as a cover-up for evil" but instead to serve God (1 Peter 2:16). Jesus bore our punishment on the cross "that we might die to sin and live to righteousness" (1 Peter 2:24).

As free people who've experienced God's amazing grace, let's glorify Him with our daily lives. First5

Expectant God

The heavens can no longer hold your abundant love,

So you pour out the gift of your embodied self

Relinquishing the beauty of your majesty,

To adorn the pale colours of our humanity.

Choosing to enter into this world in a place of scarcity and need.

Reveal to us this hidden world

of poverty,

of refugees,

of suffering.

As you choose this as the place of your birth

Let us choose this to be the place of our rebirth.

Rebuild us,

Transform us,

Make us anew.

We ask this through Christ our Lord,

Amen.

Kieran O'Brien

Colossians 1:13-18 Jesus, in Him and through Him the world can be saved!

Titus 2:10 (ESV) "not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior."

Jesus, the name above ALL names. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but that through Him the world could be saved. John 3:17

Colossians 1:13-18 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

If we abide in Him we shall live in Him. When we stand for Jesus’ commands to love God above all and love others with that same love  we honor Him.  Whoever believes that Jesus Christ is the only means to the Father and He is the visible manifestation of our triune God will be saved. John 3:16 Carla

God has liberated believers from the dominion of darkness. The apostle uses the common symbolism of light and darkness for good and evil, for God’s kingdom and Satan’s kingdom, that is found throughout the New Testament. The kingdom from which believers have been rescued is the kingdom of darkness (John 1:4–9; Ephesians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:5; 1 Peter 2:9; 1 John 1:5).

The Greek word redemption points naturally to the payment of a price or ransom for the release of a slave. The slavery from which believers are released is not physical but spiritual. They are freed from bondage to sin by forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:7).

Paul interrupts his description of his prayers for the Colossians with a song of praise. These verses are generally recognized as an early Christian hymn celebrating the supremacy of Jesus Christ. 

Firstborn over all creation could denote a priority in time or in rank. The word does not describe Christ as the first being created in time because the hymn proclaims that all things were “created by Him” and that “He is before all things.” Jesus is the eternal One who was before all creation. The idea of firstborn in the Hebrew culture did not require that one be the first son born. This was not the case with either Isaac or Jacob. But they were the firstborn in the sense that they were rightful heirs to the line of their fathers. Being firstborn referred more to rank and privilege than to order of birth. 

Since Christ is God, He is supreme in rank over all creation. Yet He is not only the transcendent deity who created us; He is the One who died on our behalf (Philippians 2:6–18) and was subsequently raised from dead. Thus He is also the firstborn from the dead (verse 18). The first One who experienced the true resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20). 

This early Christian hymn emphasizes the superiority of Christ over all creation. Christ is the One who created all things, whether they be material or immaterial, seen or unseen. This idea is in direct contradiction to the false teaching, later known as Gnosticism, that was developing in the Colossian church. In general, Gnostics believed that various angelic beings were the creators of the earth and that Christ was one among many of these angels. 

All things were created through Him and for Him. Not only did Jesus create all things; everything was created for His purposes (Hebrews 1:2, where Christ is said to be the “heir of all things”). 

But the glory of the earth, the heavens, or the sun, moon, and stars cannot be compared with the glory of His new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Following the celebration of Christ’s authority over all creation, this early Christian hymn proceeds to proclaim His authority over the church. He is the head of His own body, which is the church. No one should underestimate the significance of the church, for it is in fact Christ’s body. The sovereign Creator of the universe, as Head of the church, provides leadership and oversight over it. No wonder He is so jealous for it (1 Corinthians 3:16, 17). 

Christ was the first to be raised from the dead. His own resurrection guarantees that the church will one day be resurrected (1 Corinthians 15:12–28). The NKJV Study Bible

Ephesians 1:15–23 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:…

John 1:1–3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God…

Ephesians 1:6–7 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 

Romans 11:36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

Revelation 3:14 “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:

This much I do know; if you guzzle the news these days (which is too easy to do), we live in a world where fear undermines and outmaneuvers grace far too often.

Most days, I read and shake my head. I can’t make sense of it. The meanness and violence, the uncertainty, the polarization. (Although we don't need the news to remind us that life can be, at times, harsh, unfair and unkind.)

The effect is that (even if only in a small way) each one of us knows that there are times when life is just “too much”.

Too heavy. Too precarious. Too uncertain. Too depleting.

Times when we've said (or prayed to any deity that would lend an ear), “Please help me. I don't think I have what it takes.”

Even then, I do want to believe in the triumph of grace.

Do you remember the movie, Jaws? There's a great scene where the local sheriff is chumming for the great white shark. And out of nowhere Jaws appears. The shark is gigantic, more enormous than the crew imagined possible. They are, understandably, terrified. (Of course, the music—da-dum, da-dum, da-dum—doesn’t hurt for amplifying the suspense.) The sheriff says carefully, “We're going to need a bigger boat.”

Yes. “We're going to need a bigger boat.”

I love this metaphor. (And a great job title: “Bigger boat business”.)

Think of our “boat” as a reservoir. Our reservoir of strength, and resolve, and grace, and permission, which assures us we cannot be undone by life's cruelty or capriciousness. Here’s the deal: Our reservoir is bigger.

Forgiveness is not denying the violence or hatred. And it is not feeling warm and tender about the offenders. Forgiveness is saying, “I give up my right to get even.” (Thank you, Lewis Smedes.) 

Life is not about what I “deserve,” as if life must yield or bend to my druthers (which becomes a life lived so self-consciously).

No. This is about… The life we create. The love we share. And the light we shine.

The fine print here is that we live this way only when we are free to be vulnerable and tender hearted. It's not that I have anything against striving or praying or achieving or dreaming. They are all well and good in their place. But it backfires if there's an implicit agreement (or hope) that I can avoid life's pitfalls—as if a pitfall means that I've failed at life. Because what do I do with such an agreement? I live cautiously. I choose to be afraid. I close down my heart. I withhold my love and my forgiveness. And I rage on the inside.

“The plain fact is that the planet does not need more successful people. But it does desperately needs more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of every kind. It needs people who live well in their place. It needs people of moral courage willing to join the fight to make the world habitable and humane. And these qualities have little to do with success as we have defined it.” David Orr

True, there are many times when we may not see the Holy One in ourselves, but it shouldn't keep us from singing, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine," followed by, “Don’t forget to pray for those men.” “Sabbath Moments” Terry Hershey

"[Jesus], though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men" (Philippians 2:6-7).

In His final act on earth before He sacrificed His life on the cross, Jesus demonstrated His humility as He washed His disciples' feet and gave this charge: "Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him" (John 13:16).

In our flesh, it may feel difficult at times to put the cause of Christ ahead of our own wants or desires, especially when we feel like we've been wronged or like someone else's wrong is going unnoticed. But when we remember what Jesus did for us, we can be encouraged and rejoice. Our God is not a distant God who only tells us what we should and should not do. Jesus left His rightful place of dignity and honor to come to us, walk with us, and show us the way to life in Him (2 Corinthians 8:9). First5