Transforming Power;
The Work of God on Behalf of Man
Weekly Devotional 2-3-20 Being Complacent
Have you fallen into the trap of being complacent in your walk with the Lord? Many Christians have and have lost their zeal for Him. Seemingly they have forgotten the cost of their salvation and that there is an enemy that hopes to derail them from a fruitful walk. Consider the words of the Apostle Peter in his first letter of encouragement to Christians that had been scattered through-out Asia Minor during the early century:
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith–the salvation of your souls.
10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you,
11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven–things which angels desire to look into.
13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot”(1st Peter 1:1-19). And later in that same letter, he wrote: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (5:8).
Perhaps it would help all of us from being complacent if we were to remember and dwell on a few truths from Peter’s address:
We have forever been made the children of God. “3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (Verse 3-5).
“That the genuineness of (our) your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found of praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Verse 7). This won’t happen by being complacent. It will only be accomplished if: we are sober (sincere) and do not allow ourselves to be conformed to our old selves. We are to be holy in our conduct as God is holy (verses 13-16).
13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
If we in sincerely, will consider that we “were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot”(Verses 18-19) perhaps we will not be complacent.
The prophet Isaiah was caused to write: “So His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men” (Isaiah 52:14) and now consider the meaning of that verse.
John MacArthur (Pastor, Bible teacher, and author) writes: The Servant (Jesus) must undergo inhumane cruelty to the point that He no longer looks like a human being. His appearance is so awful that people look at Him in astonishment
J. Vernon McGee (Former pastor and author-Thru the Bible) writes: After His beatings and whippings, Jesus did not even look human-just a bloody piece of quivering human flesh. It was unspeakable.
And, William Tyndale (Tyndale Commentaries – Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries) an English scholar who became a leading figure in the Protestant Reformation in the years leading up to his execution, wrote: “The Servant’s (Jesus) sufferings brought such a disfigurement that those who saw said not only, ‘Is this he?’ but ‘Is this human?’”
Understanding what
Jesus suffered for us, and what He has accomplished for us should move us away
from complacency toward a fiery zeal.
stevelampman@comcast.net stevelampman.com