The good news of Christ
Remove myself, O Sovereign, as the center,
Into my heart as Lord let Jesus enter;
For him I die — the kingdom my surrender,
His cross for glory, eternal crown of splendor.
Zeal that comes from Christ, pure and single,
No human view or earthly prize to mingle,
Promised to him, sincere and whole devotion,
Owner of every thought and deed and emotion.
The sounds of life surround us — babies, dogs,
machines, the singing of birds, the whir of fans,
overhead planes, far-off thunder, groans
of pain and death — these sounds are us, O Lord,
on earth in movement toward the final day.
We strain to hear angelic trumpets, voices
announcing the coming of the sovereign Lord —
a moment’s laughter turned to eternal joy,
the happy cries of birth to heaven’s life,
the ringing welcome into the city’s gates.
Make it so! — Rip the skies apart
and sweep us up, in glorious clouds, to meet
our Savior and leave all woe and heavy care!
Though here we serve at your good pleasure, time
is not short enough by our impatient measure.
What is the prayer that I should pray
To overcome and know your way?
For I am weak — this I confess —
I trust my wisdom less and less.
Yours is the Kingdom, glory and power;
Your precepts save me every hour.
Your love and goodness daily cheer me;
My constant need: Lord, come be near me.
Father, forgive us our sins. We stand in constant need of your cleansing. We confess our inability to deal with our guilt. You alone can purify us.
Father, help us to be holy, as you are holy. Sanctify us in the truth. Jesus is our sacrifice. We plead for forgiveness based on his death.
Father, keep temptation away. Make us strong to deal with the devil. Help us to seek help from our family of faith. Make us strong helpers of the weak.
Father, thank you for accepting our prayer. We praise you for your goodness and for your sacrificial love. Your presence gives us life. Your word offers us hope. May you be blessed forevermore.
Can you imagine a husband checking off a marriage list at the end of the day that included items like told her I loved her, kissed her, bought flowers, warmed her car …. The very nature of a relationship defies a checklist. It is intimate, deep, and abiding. And, while you can gain knowledge about your spouse, it is the application of that knowledge in your marriage that makes it a good relationship.
So it is with God. Knowledge of His Word is not the end but only the means to an end. It is what we are doing with that knowledge that makes all the difference.
I. John 5:36-40. Knowing the Bible isn’t the same as knowing God. This is what Jesus tried to get the Jews who were seeking to kill Him to understand. He does not refute that their Bible study was diligent. Nor does He dispute that in the Scriptures can they find the way to eternal life. Their struggle was in application. They refused to obey to know God (1 John 2:3-6), live them out, and recognize that they testified about Him.
II. Matthew 7:21-23. Bible study is the means to an abiding relationship with God. Since Adam and Eve ate the fruit and became like God, knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:6-22), we have had to perceive the world through knowledge. Animals have instincts; we must be taught. This has many downfalls, but the biggest one is believing that if we are doing for God, then He knows us. In our attitudes towards worship, attendance, serving, prayer, and His Word, are we “doing His will”?
III. Hebrews 4:12-13. One of the reasons they, and we, refuse to come to Jesus to have eternal life is because we don’t like the double-edge on the Sword of the Spirit that cuts back on us as we try to wield this knowledge on others. Neither do we like our deeds exposed by the light (John 3:19-21), so we keep from applying knowledge of God’s Word from becoming obedience. We do not commit to an abiding relationship with God and so live in a state of quasi-light and quasi-darkness.
Many books have been written about how to have a better marriage, and these are people’s best guesses at situations that vary from spouse to spouse. But, only one Book has been written by God Himself that helps us have an abiding relationship with Him. Do you study it to love Him more?
Glorious God,
From me no argument, Lord — I accept
your will — come what may — events
delightful or traumatic. Be done
in me and in the world your way.
Omniscient God, I confess —
my ignorance, my lack of vision,
my limited view, and yes my blindness.
You know, you see, you cause to be.
Submission belongs to me — you love,
you care — you desire, in so many words,
communion, fellowship, connection —
For this, O Lord, come down to save!
Let Jesus be my light and joy,
Yes, this, O God, is what I want —
Surrender wild and worried mind,
Messiah’s peace and power rule.
Let Jesus be my greater work,
O Father, in me be glorified —
That I and all eternally share
Your life among the worshiping saints.
O God, come save without delay!
Keep Satan and his wiles at bay!
Nefarious forces surround us,
Temptations daily pound us!
Remember, Lord, we are but clay!
To you belong all power and praise,
Spiritual worship to you we raise!
Your mercies never ceasing,
Your blessings come increasing!
O God, how wonderful are your ways!
The mind is marked with sin’s impress,
The past disrupts the single eye;
O God of power, we confess:
Upon your Spirit we rely.