Category Archives: Dan’s Blog

Unavoidable Challenges

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God wants us to experience joy and fulfillment, and even lots of pleasure as we live our lives for Him. Still, because the role of suffering occupies such a central place in God’s plan for our ultimate destiny in Him, we can’t simply sweep the issue under the rug. So one way to better understand His purpose for us is to begin to recognize the methods by which He employs suffering as a part of His plan to bring us into our destiny.

             What are they? First of all, this world is not our home. We are merely sojourners here. The great people of God in the Bible all knew this to be true.(Hebrews 11:13) Paul was well aware of this fact: “For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven”(2 Corinthians 5:2, Romans 8:23). We simply were not created for the objective of happiness on this earth, no matter how bountiful life here might turn out to be.

            It doesn’t matter how rich we become, what prestige or power we gain in life, or even how wonderful our relationships with family and friends are. Mature Christians know that all these things pale in comparison to what we’ve really been designed for. And the fact is that none of these earthly benefits, no matter how marvelous they are, exempt us from challenges and hardships that come in so many different ways throughout our lives. Merely by virtue of the fact that we live in a world full of sin and suffering—what we call a fallen world—puts us in direct conflict with any hope that God’s design could be solely focused on our happiness here on earth.

Excerpted from: Free from the Power of Sin: The Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

 

Choice with Teeth!

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Why does God allow us to encounter so much conflict and hardship in life? How does it all fit in with His plan to bring us into union with Him? Choice is the answer!

Our redemption does not merely rest on our initial decision to make Jesus Lord of our life. It’s true that receiving Christ as Lord is the bedrock of our salvation, but our relationship with Him is built on a series of decisions we make over the course of a lifetime. Because life’s circumstances are tough, these choices are rarely easy. God allowed sin to exist for this very reason.

If God had designed things so that it would be easy to follow Him, our choices would have little meaning. Our pursuit of Jesus, while forsaking our own selfish desires, is what He wants. And He’s created the ideal system to measure our progress: life here on earth.

True Purpose

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Millions upon millions of Christians have been lulled into thinking that God’s purpose for us as His children boils down to not much more than enjoying a rewarding life here on earth while on our way to all the benefits of a heavenly reward later. And because of this mindset, it’s only natural for us to focus on what God can do for us here and now. But while this attitude neatly fits in with our human appetites and ambitions, it merely serves to derail our spiritual growth.

This clever deception of the evil one has been a blight on believers—probably down through the centuries, but certainly in this modern age of prosperity. Yet though many of our teachers attempt to make a biblical case for this philosophy, it clearly has little support when the entire context of Scripture is taken into account.         

            The Westminster Catechism says that “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and enjoy Him forever.” So true, yet we need to recognize that a big part of God’s purpose also encompasses His enjoyment of man forever. As a result, He has put together a program which fosters the achievement of both goals very effectively. In what way, though, might God enjoy us as fully as we enjoy Him? By making us His very own sons and daughters. God has indeed fashioned us in the way He has to accomplish this very purpose.

Excerpted from: Free from the Power of Sin: The Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

Fantasy Toward Reality

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Why does fantasy come so easily to us? Is it just for fun? Or as we grow older, an escape from reality? Possibly. But just maybe we’re reaching into the very depths of our being, into the realm of the Spirit, sensing a little taste of God’s ultimate purpose for us.  

Have you experienced what I’m talking about? Have you sensed the feeling of being cut out for something great—an intuition that I truly am more than what I appear to be? Of course you have! If nothing else, it took place as a child. It happened before the reality and rigors of life smothered it. It cropped up before you decided that it made a whole lot more sense to settle for the mediocre.

That sense of special purpose can be re-energized. It’s been God’s intention all along!

Excerpted from: Free from the Power of Sin: The Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

The Good News: Part 7

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I know that God causes all things to work together for good for me, because I love Him and am called according to His purpose. For God knew me before the beginning of time, and as a result has predestined me to be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:28-29). Through Him I now rejoice in my tribulations, for I know that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that is to be revealed to me (Romans 5:3 & 8:18). I take solace in the fact that my suffering is merely a means of reinforcing my perseverance, refining my character, and providing me hope (Romans 5:3-5).

            My salvation is secure, because nothing shall separate me from the love of Christ (Romans 8:35). So He has promised! Even though I know that I will one day stand before the judgment seat of God, I have no fear, for in that day I shall be found sheltered in Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:10, Colossians 3:3). My perishable body will be raised in glory (1 Corinthians 15:42-43). Just as my nature has borne the image of the earthly, I shall also bear the image of the heavenly, since He will transform the body of my humble state into conformity with the body of His glory (1 Corinthians 15:49, Philippians 3:21).

Excerpted from: Free from the Power of Sin: The Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

The Good News: Part 6

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By faith I have received all that God has promised (Galatians 3:22). And in the very same way that I have received Christ Jesus the Lord—that is, as a free gift—I am now to walk in Him (Colossians 2:6).

It was for freedom that Christ set me free. Therefore, I will stand firm and not subject myself again to the yoke of slavery (Galatians 5:1). For the promises of God are valid for me only if I continue in the faith, firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel (Colossians 1:23).

The hope of God’s promise is that by grace I have been saved through faith This is the gift of God, not a result of my own goodness or deeds (Ephesians 2:8-9). In this same way I have every opportunity to attain to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding—the true knowledge of God’s mystery, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:2-3).

Excerpted from: Free from the Power of Sin: The Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

The Good News: Part 5

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Having been made righteous through Christ, I am no longer condemned, for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2). I have been raised up with Him, and seated with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6). I have also been given access to the Father through Christ and I am sealed with the Holy Spirit who has been given as a pledge of my inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14 & 2:18).

His grace has been showered on me according to the measure of Christ’s gift for the work of service for the building up of the body of Christ, of which I am an integral and indispensable member (Ephesians 4:7 & 12, 1 Corinthians 12:27). And through His power, I can now rejoice in any sufferings that result from doing my share on behalf of His body (Colossians 1:24).

Excerpted from: Free from the Power of Sin: The Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

The Good News: Part 4

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He has blessed me with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose me in Him before the foundation of the world, that I would be holy and blameless before Him (Ephesians 1:3-4). In Christ I am a new creature, the old things have passed away; new things have come (2 Corinthians 5:17).

So now I can lay aside the old self and put on my new self, which has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth (Ephesians 4:22-24). I am now in the process of being brought into a true knowledge of God, being radically transformed by the renewing of my mind (Romans 12:2). This is God’s mystery, hidden from past generations but now manifested to His saints—Christ in me, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:26-27).

Excerpted from: Free from the Power of Sin: The Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

The Good News: Part 3

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God the Father has rescued me from the domain of darkness and transferred me to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom I have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13-14). I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me (Galatians 2:20).

My old self was crucified with Him so that my body of sin might be done away with, so that I would no longer be a slave to sin (Romans 6:6). I have died and I am freed from sin by being released from the law to which I was bound (Romans 7:4-6). Since Christ is in me, though my body is dead because of sin, yet my spirit is alive because of righteousness (Romans 8:10).

Excerpted from: Free from the Power of Sin: The Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself

The Good News: Part 2

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God promises that I am saved from His wrath, reconciled to God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:24 & 5:9-10). Having been justified by His blood, I have obtained an inheritance as His adopted child (Ephesians 1:5 & 1:11). Through Christ’s blood, He cancelled out the certificate of debt (punishment legally due for my sin) consisting of decrees against me, having nailed it to the cross (Colossians 2:14).

He has now reconciled me in His fleshly body through death, in order to present me before Him, holy and blameless and beyond reproach (Colossians 1:22). God has credited me with His righteousness and therefore considers me to be holy (2 Corinthians 5:21 & Ephesians 1:4). And having been justified by faith, I now have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1).

(Excerpted from “Free from the Power of Sin: The Keys to Growing in God in Spite of Yourself”)