Standing Before God 17th Day in Lent (Monday) Read: Romans 5:1-11 “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” Romans 5:1-2a (NIV) ‘Grace is the basis for our standing before God’. What does it mean to ‘stand before a King’? I enjoy reading the historical fiction books by Philippa Gregory. It is obvious in these books that there was a hierarchy in society in the Middle Ages. There was the upper class consisting of the kings/monarchs, nobles, knights, and clergy. Then the middle class tended to be the merchants, doctors, and those with important jobs; and then there was the lower class – the peasants and serfs who performed all the menial tasks and jobs. Firstly, to see the king you had to get through all the secretaries and make an appointment – only if you had an important issue. If it wasn’t important or considered necessary or beneficial to the kingship, there would be no way to stand in the king’s presence. Through the saving action of God in His Son Jesus Christ, God has allowed us to come directly into His presence and talk to Him freely. Back in the Old Testament times, the common people had to talk to God through the priests and offer sacrifices to make themselves worthy. Now we are reconciled with God. Reconciliation is talked about quite freely in society and between cultures and nations, but the essence of reconciliation is to bring people together with differences or conflicts and help them understand each other. Being reconciled with God means that He has come to us directly and made us clean through the act of Jesus on the cross. He opened Himself up for us to understand more of the nature of God. So, we can stand in His presence – the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We don’t have to ask for an audience from a priest or secretary. Through the grace of God, we can stand in His presence and ask Him for whatever is on our minds. We can understand and accept the grace and love that He offers us every day. Jesus’ act of suffering allowed us to stand before God. Prayer: Dear Lord God, thank you for your reconciling love and act of grace toward me. Being able to stand in your presence is humbling, helps me always to be appreciative. Amen. 2
Please give me a job description
by Emma Strelan Werner
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you (Ephesians 4:32).
Read Ephesians 4:25–32
Allow me to pull out my ‘I learnt a tiny bit of biblical Greek’ card for a moment to point out some cheeky wordplay from Paul in this passage. In verse 32, the Greek word for ‘be kind’ is chrestos – strikingly similar to the Greek for Christ. So, when Paul tells us to ‘be kind’ to one another, perhaps he’s hinting that we ought to also ‘be Christ’ to one another. After all, that is, in fact, what we still call ourselves as Christians – our job is to be little Christs.
But there’s nothing I fear more than being given a job title with no blueprint or direction for what doing that role actually looks like. Perhaps many Christians have found that once they put their faith in Jesus and are told they are a new creation in him, they have no idea what that even means in practice!
Well, thankfully, we get a job description for a ‘new creation’ right here in Ephesians.
A new person in Christ:
- tells the truth (verse 25)
- knows when to let go of anger so it doesn’t lead to sin (verse 26)
- works honestly and gives generously (verse 28)
- speaks for the building up, not tearing down of others (verse 29)
- lives in a way that does not grieve the Holy Spirit (verse 30)
- controls emotions that lead to hurting others (verse 31)
- seeks to show the same kindness that God has shown them (verse 32).
This can be a nice list to spend some time considering: ‘In which area can I be more Christ-like right now?’ But, in all these things, a theme becomes evident: as Christians, the needs of others are to be our first concern, and Christ is the greatest example of that.
There’s one thing even better than a job description: having the person who did that job before you demonstrate what it looks like.
When we struggle to know what ‘being Christ’ looks like in a specific situation and can’t find a Bible verse giving us the answer, we can turn to Christ as our example. I don’t have to forge my own path ahead as a Christian, even in this ever-changing world, because Christ goes before me.
Lord Jesus, thank you for demonstrating love perfectly. Give me a hunger to know you more, so that more and more of you shines out of me. Bring to my attention where I can be living better as your new creation today. Amen.
Emma works part-time as a content producer at Lutheran Media, where she creates the Messages of Hope radio show and podcast. On her other days, she takes freelance video jobs, filming weddings and all manner of projects that come along. Having gotten married herself in May, she’s enjoying this new season of life with her husband, Tim.
Costly forgiveness
by Emma Strelan Werner
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them (Luke 17:4).
Read Luke 17:1–4
‘There is nothing particularly Christian about the practice of forgiveness. Whatever our religion, we must request and grant forgiveness almost every day of our lives’ (Douglas R A Hare).
If this quote is true, what makes Christian forgiveness unique?
Well, our sort of forgiveness, the kind that forgives the same person seven times (and more) in a day, is costly.
It is no small endeavour to forgive as Jesus instructs us to here. If someone wrongs you once? No worries! You can say, ‘It was a mistake, you’re forgiven, let’s move on!’ What if someone wrongs you a second time? Then you start to think, ‘Hmm, okay, that hurt again, but I want to keep this relationship with you, so I forgive you.’ But when the pattern goes on, and on and on, the pain and struggle to give up the anger gets harder and harder.
Forgiving someone who you know will probably hurt you again isn’t a small thing. But we do it for those who we truly love. We’re willing to accept that pain, because we know our Father in Heaven has forgiven us without limit.
When we understand the immensity of forgiveness offered to us by Jesus, what right do we have to withhold forgiveness from others even if they sin against us seven times in a day?
That kind of forgiveness is costly. It costs us our pride, our anger, our need for a certain type of justice. But it cost Jesus a whole lot more.
Dear Lord, when someone seeks forgiveness from me, remind me of your grace so that I can, without hesitation, offer them a restored relationship as you have given me. Amen.
Emma works part-time as a content producer at Lutheran Media, where she creates the Messages of Hope radio show and podcast. On her other days, she takes freelance video jobs, filming weddings and all manner of projects that come along. Having gotten married herself in May, she’s enjoying this new season of life with her husband, Tim.
Woe to the backyard brewers!
by Emma Strelan Werner
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
If anyone causes one of these little ones … to stumble, it would be better for them … to be drowned in the depths of the sea (Matthew 18:6).
Read Matthew 18:6–10
Woe to those who brew backyard beer and lead children around corners!
We used to live in a house with one entrance from the street and one from the laneway around the back. One day, my brother, who was 18 months old, was playing in the front yard while my dad washed the family van on the lawn. After finishing the final polish, Dad jumped in the van to drive it around the block and park it in the backyard. Seeing my dad leave the driveway, my brother decided he would follow and toddled after him. Of course, his little legs meant that by the time my dad had turned the first corner, my brother was left in the dust, now seemingly completely alone, happily toddling through the neighbourhood in just his nappy.
All was well, as father and son were soon reunited. But I can certainly say the police were not too impressed when, after a call from an observant neighbour, they came to do a welfare check only to find my dad hanging out in a backyard littered with beer bottles (from his recent home-brew endeavours). It was not a good look for a pastor’s family, to say the least.
It’s a good thing for our society to care about the safety of our children. God takes our misleading those who are ‘little’ in faith (so, perhaps most of us!) seriously, too.
Whether we intend to mislead or not, maybe a question we should consider is: ‘If someone who looks up to me in my community was to follow what I’m doing, where would that take them?’ And ‘What could this behaviour look like from an outsider’s perspective, even if it is actually quite innocent?’
It’s a good thing we have a Heavenly Father whose eye never leaves us when we wander, and a bloke called Jesus who’s worth following more than even my dad.
Dear Lord, please show me if any of my actions have led someone into sin because I didn’t think enough about the implications. Please keep me from stumbling, and may I fix my eyes on you and your ways, especially when it matters most. Amen.
Emma works part-time as a content producer at Lutheran Media, where she creates the Messages of Hope radio show and podcast. On her other days, she takes freelance video jobs, filming weddings and all manner of projects that come along. Having gotten married herself in May, she’s enjoying this new season of life with her husband, Tim.