7. The Submission to His Rule: "He leadeth me" (23:2c)

Psalm 23:2c

Martin Luther wrote, “Of all the figures that are applied to God in the Old Testament that of a shepherd is the most beautiful. (T)he sweet word shepherd…brings to the godly…a confidence, a consolation or security, like the word father. A sheep can only live through the help, protection, and care of its shepherd. As soon as it loses him, it is exposed to dangers of every kind, and must perish, for it cannot help itself. The reason is, it is a poor, weak, silly creature. But weak creature though it be, it has the habit of keeping diligently near its shepherd, of depending upon his help and protection; it follows wherever he leads, and, if it can only be near him, it cares for nothing, is afraid of no one, but feels secure and happy, for it wants for nothing.”

The Leading Shepherd.  My Shepherd knows how to lead. He gets in front of me, never leading from behind. John 10:4 “And when he put forth his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.” In Israel, it is the butcher, not the shepherd, who walks behind the sheep. He leads because He has gone before me...

     i)        In Evil Temptations - Heb. 2:18 says, “For in that He Himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.” Heb. 4:15 “For we have not a high priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points He was tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

     ii)      In Earthly Humiliation - Phil. 2 “⁵Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: ⁶Who, being in the form of God, did not think it robbery to be equal with God: ⁷ But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: ⁸ And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

     iii)    In Eternal Restoration - Revelation 7:17 “For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” He is the Good Shepherd because He is also the Lamb who identifies with us and our needs.

 

The Led Sheep. Twice in this short psalm, I am encouraged to relish the leadership of my Shepherd, first here in verse two in His leading me in serene refreshment and then again in the following verse for His leading me in sanctifying righteousness.

 

Because my Shepherd has gone before me, I can trust Him because He knows where He came from and where He is going. John 8:14 “Jesus answered … ‘for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.”

 

Not only does Jesus know the way, Jesus is the way. John 14:5-6 “⁵ Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we know not where You are going; and how can we know the way?’ ⁶ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me.’” Sheep are nearsighted, cannot smell water, and have no sense of direction. As a result, they cannot find still waters on their own. But when I know the Shepherd, I know the way, even if I cannot see nor sense the direction I am going.

 

Most of all, my Shepherd knows me by name and because He has spoken to me so often and so lovingly, I know His voice, especially when he calls my name. “the sheep hear (the shepherd’s) voice: and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out.”

“Savior, like a shepherd lead me,
much I need Your tender care;
in Your pleasant pastures feed me,
for our use Your folds prepare.
Blessed Jesus, You have bought me, I am Yours .”

All this month we are looking at the most beloved psalm and the most quoted chapter in all of the Bible, the 23rd Psalm. If you would like to subscribe daily, put your email in the upper right box.

6. The Sustenance of His Residence: "in green pastures" (23:2b)

Verse 2b:  Psalm 23

 “Do more beloved words exist?” asked Max Lucado. “Framed and hung in hospital halls, scratched on prison walls, quoted by the young, and whispered by the dying. In these lines sailors have found a harbor, the frightened have found a father, and strugglers have found a friend. Can you find ears on which these words have never fallen?”

A shepherd has a destination in mind as he takes out his flock. So does the Good Shepherd for me. The word “pastures” can also be translated as places of habitation, residences, even houses. The destined habitation for the sheep is a place which would be full of nourishment. So also is God's destination for me.

One way a shepherd will “make” his sheep lie down is to fill them full of nourishment. Often, I am anxious and do not lie down and rest in my Lord because I fail to feast on the spiritual nourishment my Shepherd has for me. 

In John 6:35, Jesus said, “I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” I am to be nourished by residing in the Word of God. Matthew 4:4 proclaims that “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.”

The sheep feast in green, lush pastures, filled with freshly sprouted grass. For the sheep to fully digest the grass, they must consume and then rest to allow for several stages of digestion. They graze during the day and then chew their cud for digestion throughout the night. Likewise, it is not enough for my spiritual nourishment to simply feast on the Word in the day. I must put the words into practice during the dark and long nights of my spiritual journey. I must “hunger and thirst for righteousness” in order for me to be filled.

Grazing on food more easily digested than grass can cause the sheep to become bloated and even die.  I need the milk of the Word but also the meat of spiritual food. Without internalizing the word, applying it and practicing the righteousness of God during hard and dark times, God’s truths will never be fully realized.

What is on your spiritual menu? Is Christ residing in you? Are you reading His Word? Is His righteousness what you hunger and thirst for? 

My Shepherd, I have failed. I have longed for spiritual food that is not in your prepared pastures. I want to eat food by day but not properly apply it in the dark nights. Forgive me. Feed me in your pastureland. Amen.

All this month we are looking at the most beloved psalm and the most quoted chapter in all of the Bible, the 23rd Psalm. If you would like to subscribe daily, put your email in the upper right box.

5. The Settling of His Refreshing: "He maketh me to lie down" (23:2a)

Verse 2a:  Psalm 23

Professor and Author Dr. Kyle M. Yates expressed it eloquently: “Because He loves me as the good Shepherd, I shall never want. Does He leave out anything in the world that a soul can possibly need? Every material and every spiritual need is provided for helpless, needy creatures who look to the Shepherd for such satisfactions. Only in Him can they be found.”

Parallel passages. The Shepherd satisfies me and He also settles me down. The imagery of lying down is found in other verses. Job 11:19 says “Also you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid…” Ps. 4:8 proclaims, “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for only You, LORD, make me dwell in safety.”  In Isa. 17:2: “…they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid.”  Eze. 34:14-15 expounds the imagery even further,  “I will feed them in a good pasture, and on the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there they shall lie in a good fold, and in a lush pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, says the Lord GOD.” Also in Zeph. 3:13 speaks of God’s people,  “…for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.”

Peace. Sheep are naturally and easily frightened; it is difficult for a shepherd to make his flock to lie down in complete repose. “Lie down” literally means the folding of the legs in a reclining position. Imagine the care a shepherd has to have to make his skittish and scared sheep to be completely comfortable in lying down. A good shepherd will provide peace. Jesus makes me lie down with His peace that passes all understanding. Unlike the world’s peace (John 14:27), His peace is internal and eternal. Hebrews 13:20-21 says, “Now the God of peace, who from the dead brought our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep…may He make you complete.”

Protection. There must be safety from harm, predators, sounds and even each other. Sadly we like sheep can also need protection from each other. The Shepherd settles His sheep by providing protection. Once secure, the legs of the sheep fold down and lay down with their “bellies nestled deep in the long shoots of grass. A still pond on one side, the watching shepherd on the other…Who is in charge? The shepherd.”  (Max Lucado, Traveling Light, pg. 40).

Passion of the Shepherd. What motivates Christ to make me lie down? Matthew 9:36 says, “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.” His love makes me lie down. Not by force or coercion but by the immanence of His great love and compassion.

Fold your legs today and recline in His peace.

  Lie down in the shadow of the Shepherd’s protection.

    Rest in lush pastureland of His passionate love for you.

“Dear Shepherd of my soul, I am so stubborn and skittish and scared sometimes.
Thank you for making me to lie down in You. Amen.”

All this month we are looking at the most beloved psalm and the most quoted chapter in all of the Bible, the 23rd Psalm. If you would like to subscribe daily, put your email in the upper right box.

4. The Satisfaction: "I Shall Not Want" (23:1b)

Psalm 23:1b:  I Shall Not Want

With Him, what do you lack? Without Him, what do you have?

Baptist pastor F.B. Meyer said of Psalm 23 “Come hither, weary ones, restless ones, heavy-laden ones; sit down in this cool and calm resort, while the music of its rhythm charms away the thoughts that break your peace. How safe and blessed are you to whom the Lord is Shepherd! Put down this volume and repeat again, in holy reverie, the well-known words to the end, and see if they do not build themselves into a refuge on which the storms may break in vain.”

A little girl was quoting from memory the 23rd Psalm but did not quite get it right: “The Lord is my shepherd, He is all I want.” She may not have gotten it verbatim, but she did capture the heart of David, “He is all I want.”

When I come to the Lord as my Shepherd, I am satisfied in Him. I may lack material things, I certainly will not be perfect, but I can find contentment in Christ, not because of material fullness but in spite of my lacking. Jesus said it also on the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matt. 5:6, ESV). I shall not be in lack or short of anything I need when I rely on God.

R.B. Thieme Jr. said that because the word “want” is in the Greek version of the Old Testament in the imperfect tense, it could be translated “I cannot want or lack for anything.” That can be true because if you are not wanting something you don’t have, you do not have any feelings of unfulfillment. 

          Hmm. That’s too many double negatives. Let me say it this way. If the only thing you want is what you have, you only have feelings of fulfillment.

Hmm again. Maybe I should say what Jesus said, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26). When John D. Rockefeller, one of the wealthiest men in the world, died, someone asked “how much did he leave?” His accountant answered, “all of it.”

The rich young ruler kept all the rules, but missed the Shepherd. Jesus said, “One thing you lack: go your way, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven.”

You know the rest of the story. He went away sadly because he loved the world which left him empty and left the Shepherd who loved him fully.

If Jesus is your Shepherd, what do you lack? If He is not your Shepherd, what do you have?

Father, grant me contentment today. Let me treasure you in my life and forget the things that I don't have. Help me to find you as all I want and find fulfillment in that alone. Amen

3. The Shepherd: "The LORD is my shepherd" (23:1a)

Verse 1a:  Psalm 23

"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want."

                
     Albert Barnes wrote, “The psalm has always been regarded as one of exquisite beauty. The leading thought is his full belief that God would provide for him, and that he would never be left to want.” 

                The word “LORD” is the name Jehovah, Yah-weh, a name Jesus uses in the Seven “I AM” statements in gospel of John[1] and the book of the Revelation.[2]  Jesus literally means “Jehovah is Salvation.” When Moses needed to define who God was, God revealed Himself as Jehovah (Exod. 3:14), “the self-existent One” (Scofield).

            Secondly notice that the Shepherd is mine. Spurgeon said that the sweetest word in the sweetest psalm is the word “my.” He is my Substitute, receiving the affliction we deserve. The word “shepherd” in a Hebrew dictionary is next to the word “friend.” When you read this psalm, do not read as a poem or as a mere work of literature. Read it as one who knows the Shepherd intimately. 

            Third, Jesus is God’s Shepherd. The phrase “my shepherd” is only used again in Zech. 13:7 “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd … saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd...” God’s Shepherd is not a hireling who runs from danger. He justified me in His death (John 10:10), sanctifies me in His life (“that Great Shepherd of the sheep (will make) you perfect in every good work to do his will,” Heb. 13:20-21), and “And when the chief Shepherd shall appear,” (1 Pet. 5:4) He will glorify me.

            My shepherd and God’s shepherd met at Calvary, making Him “who knew no sin to become sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21).


            “My Lord and My Shepherd, I glorify you for loving me enough to die for me, living for me to sanctify me, and for never leaving me. Thank you for becoming God's Shepherd for me.”

All this month, we will be looking at perhaps the most beloved psalm and perhaps the most quoted chapter in all of the Bible, the 23rd Psalm.

[1] Seven Intransitive “I AM” Statements in John: ¹“I AM that speaks to you” (John 4:26); ²“I AM, do not fear” (John 6:20); ³“If you do not believe that I AM” (John 8:24); ⁴“…you will know that I AM” (John 8:28); ⁵“Before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58); ⁶“You may believe that I AM” (John 13:19); ^{7 “}Jesus said to them, ‘I AM’ ” (John 18:5).

  Seven Transitive “I AM” Statements in John: ¹“I am the Bread of Life” (John 6:35, 48, 51); ²“I AM the Light of the World” (John 8:12, 9:5); ³ “I AM the Door” (John 10:9); ⁴ “I AM the Good Shepherd” (John 10:11, 14); ⁵ “I AM the Resurrection and the Life” (John 11:25); ⁶ “I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6); ⁷“I AM the True Vine” (John 15:1, 5).

[2] Seven “I AM” Statements in Revelation: ¹“I AM Alpha and Omega” (Revelation 1:8, 11, 21:6, 22:13); ²“I AM the beginning and the ending” (Revelation 1:8, 21:6, 22:13); ³“I AM the first and the last” (Revelation 1:11, 17, 22:13); ⁴“I AM He that liveth…” (Revelation 1:18); ⁵“I AM He which searcheth the reins and hearts” (Revelation 2:23); ⁶“I AM the root and offspring of David” (Revelation 22:16); ⁷“I AM the bright and morning star” (Revelation 22:16). 

Part 1: The Sheep: You make the Shepherd Happy (Part 1, Ps. 23:1-2)

Lesson 2:  The Shepherd and the Sheep

C.H. Spurgeon said of the 23^rd Psalm, “It is David’s Heavenly Pastoral; a surpassing ode, which none of the daughters of music can excel…This is the pearl of Psalms whose soft and pure radiance delights every eye.”  

Perhaps it is so loved because it is told from the vantage point of a sheep. The identification of a shepherd towards his sheep is something Christ used repeatedly.  

In English, sheep can be singular or plural, but the 23^rd Psalm is written in the first person. We must see the writer not as “us” or “we”, but “me” and “I”. He is “my” Shepherd because I belong to Him. Jesus called me “His.” What a wonderful thing.

Luke 15:6 says “And when he came home, he called together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, ‘Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.’” Do you know that when you became one of His sheep, He rejoiced and got the whole host of heaven to rejoice.

You cannot cover up who you are; and if you could, God would not love you more than He already does. You cannot cover up who you are; and if you could, God would not love you any less. 

Read John 10:14-16 “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine ¹⁵ As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.” 

In the Greek, there is no period between verse 14 and 15. Just as Jesus knows His Father and just as the Father knows the Son, Jesus knows all about you, even the numbers of hairs on your head and loves you anyway.

Because I am His sheep, I believe and follow Him. See John 10:26 “But you believe not, because you are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. ²⁷ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

“Thank you Lord Jesus in delighting in me. Help me remember today that I am important to you and I bring you joy. Amen.”

Introduction. Lesson 1. The Setting between Suffering and Sovereignty (Psalm 22 & 24)

Part 1a:  Introduction to Psalm 23

1.      Lesson One: The Setting:

Between the Suffering Christ of Psalm 22 and the Sovereign Christ of Psalm 24 is the Shepherd Christ of Psalm 23. Of this psalm, Martin Luther said, “Of all the figures that are applied to God in the Old Testament, that of a shepherd is the most beautiful. It brings to the godly, when they read it or hear it, as it were, a confidence, a consolation or security, like the word father.”

The Shepherd’s psalm is nestled between Christ’s suffering and sovereignty, providing that confidence and consolation Luther wrote about. When you look at this psalm, you find the feelings of suffering, but also a song. That is a picture of the caring shepherd. The good shepherd knows about the wounds of life, wounds you may think, “These will never heal up.” 

But the fact that Christ has suffered as seen in psalm 22 is proof that God can identify with us and our wounds. Psalm 22 begins with “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” quoted by Christ on the cross, and showing us that He identifies with our utter despair.

The fact that Christ is sovereign as seen in psalm 24 is proof that God can rescue us from our problems. The psalm which follows the Shepherd’s psalm promises a triumphant return of the King of Glory and the Lord of hosts who will come valiantly through the mighty gates and everlasting doors. “The King of glory shall come in. ‘Who is this King of glory?’ The Lord strong and mighty. The Lord mighty in battle” (Ps. 24:7b-8).

And the fact that Christ is our Shepherd as we will see in this study is proof that God’s loving care will watch over us dumb, helpless, needy sheep.

“Lord Jesus, help us this month to see You as our Shepherd who watches over us, relating with our human weaknesses and reigning with your godly strength. Amen.”

23 Lessons from Psalm 23

¹ The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. ² He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. ³ He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. ⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. ⁵Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. ⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

 Introduction

     Let's take a new look at an old beloved psalm, the 23rd psalm, also known as the Shepherd's psalm. David's most famous psalm is a tranquil, assuring song and psalm is taken from his earlier years as a shepherd. Our formative early years often sets us on a path, good or bad, which can chart the rest of our lives. 

     In my formative years, I remember listening to Keith Green's soothing rendition of this psalm. Melissa and I worked one summer at a resort ministry when a young, almost angelic, boy drowned. As the rescue workers worked in vain to revive her son, the mother found comfort by listening over and over to Keith Green's passionate, powerful song. 

    The words of the 23rd psalm continue to comfort me and innumerable others. Prayerfully walk with me through this psalm. The following is an outline of where we will go.

Introduction

1. The Setting: Psalm 22, 24.
2. The Sheep: Psalm 23

Verse One

3. The Shepherd: The LORD is my shepherd (v. 1a.)
4. The Satisfaction: I shall not want (v. 1b)

Verse Two

5. The Settling of the sheep: He maketh me to lie down (v. 2a)
6. The Sustenance of the sheep: in green pastures (v. 2b)
7. The Submission of the sheep: He leadeth me (v. 2c)
8. The Serenity of Shepherd’s leading: beside the still waters (v. 2d)

Verse Three

9. The Soul’s Restoration: He restoreth my soul (v. 3a)
10. The Salvation of Righteousness: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness
11. The Sake of His Name: for His name’s sake (v. 3b)

Verse Four

12. The Sadness Through the Valley: Yea, though I walk through the valley (v. 4a)
13. The Shadow of Death: of the shadow of death (v. 4b)
14. The Separation from Fear: I will fear no evil (v. 4c)
15. The Staying of the Savior: for Thou art with me (v. 4d)
16. The Soothing Protection Thy rod and Thy staff (v. 4e)
17. The Solace in Correction: they comfort me (v. 4f)

Verse Five

18. The Supply of Nourishment: Thou preparest a table before me (v. 5a)
19. The Surrounding of Adversity: in the Presence of mine enemies (v. 5b)
20. The Sanctification of the Spirit: Thou anointest my head with oil (v. 5c)
21. The Superabundance of the Spirit: my cup runneth over (v. 5d)

Verse Six

22. The Surety of Earthly Blessings: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life (v. 6a)
23. The Sanctuary of Eternal Blessings: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. (v. 6b)

KCP #25: Unity makes the church the A Team

Key Church Principle #25: UNITY Acts Chapter 15:1-29

Earlier (Key Church Principle #22 not published on this blog but in the book) , we saw that there would be division as a result of our ministry. Today we’ll see the necessity of unity within the ministry. Chapter 15 is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. It has the Apostle Paul, it has Barnabas, there’s Peter speaking out, and for the first time, we hear from James, the half-brother of Jesus Himself.
It is this James who wrote the book of James (not the brother of the fisherman John—he of course was killed as seen in Acts 12:2). If you look at the letter found in Acts 15, it reads a lot like the book of James…and also a lot like the words of Jesus. It is as though James and Jesus grew up in the same household or something (hmmm).
With these all-star apostles being prominently listed, we also see a phrase used in KJV, NKJV, and ESV that I also love so much: “no small” (see 12:18, 19:24, 27:20 for other understatements and yes this phrase is in the original Greek!). “No small” means “really big”.
When we face divisions in the church, the key word of “unity” really applies. We need to remember two truths:

Truth #1 There is a God!

Truth #2 I am not Him!

By that I mean that there is an order to everything and God is not a God of disorder. As a result, we must submit to Him and His plan of order in order for things to work harmoniously and in unity. Part of submitting to God means that we must graciously submit to one another in love (Ephesians 5:21).
Now that was a lot of “order” in the last paragraph. Look below and at Acts 15 and put in order the following sequence of events, with 1 being the first event, 7 being the last:

___ The whole church was pleased to follow the ruling of the leaders

___ The Word of God is used to decide the issue

___ Pharisees argue in the Jerusalem church to keep the law of Moses

___ Paul and Barnabas go to Jerusalem for a ruling

_1_ Men teach that converts must be circumcised

___ The elders and apostles discuss the matter

___ Paul, Peter, and James (leaders in the early church), speak

What does unity and order have to do with today’s passage, which deals with circumcision? Read in verse 2 that Paul and Barnabas “had no small dissension and dispute” with some other Christians. Verse 7 says there was “much dispute” on the issue of whether Gentile converts to Christianity had to follow the Jewish custom of circumcision.
An interesting point to observe is that both sides of the issue were fervently presented. Yet when the ruling came, there is a great deal of unity within the church. The lack of details leads to speculation, but it appears that those in disagreement felt it more important to be united than to be defiant! The spirit of unity and submission is very obvious.
Even with the “no small” issue of circumcision! It seems that being unified is more paramount that “getting my way.” It also is important that the leadership needs to be united.
The key word for today is unity, but the key word behind unity can be found in verse 11: grace. Grace is normally defined as “unmerited favor” or “an undeserved gift” (I like to remember it as God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense). We are saved by God’s grace. Therefore, why should we fight and have disunity within the body? We are saved by grace, but the letter added other stipulations for new believers, especially Gentiles.
The first and last things listed (Idolatry, sexual immorality) would affect the believers’ witness with the pagan world, the second and third would affect the believers’ witness with non-Christian Jews. The four prohibitions do not negate the grace of God that saves us. It means there are things we do and don’t do after salvation that helps us serve as good witnesses.
In other words, unity does not mean “at any cost” and grace does not mean “no rules”. There are rules we must follow in grace (see Key Principle #24). And as we learned in Key Principle #22 “Division”, there are times to “rightly divide” in order to have unity. Unfortunately, at the end of chapter 15 Paul and Barnabas fail to learn the Key Word Lessons of Unity and Division, which we will see later on.

KCP#24: Grace, pt. 3 Supreme Grace

Supreme Grace

If saving grace keeps us from the penalty of sin and sustaining grace keeps us from the power of sin, supreme grace keeps us from the presence of sin. It is the finalization of our salvation. Supreme grace is the ultimate in our three parts of salvation, also seen as justification (saving grace), sanctification (sustaining grace) and glorification (supreme grace).

Years ago, I dreamed I went to heaven (no, I am not going to break into a song thanking you for giving to the Lord and no, I am not going to write a best-selling book about my dream) and in that dream I wanted to see if I was really in heaven. So I tried to do something that you are not supposed to be able to do in heaven: I made myself have a bad thought. In my dream, I was disappointed that I could still sin in heaven. I actually woke up very glad that I had not actually gone to heaven because if we could sin in heaven, heaven would not be heaven.

Speaking of the gates of heaven, John wrote in Revelation 21:27 that “there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.”

Eternal life is God’s gift to us. Romans 6:23 says “the wages of sin is death, but the gift (charisma) of God is eternal life.” It is in this context of Acts 15:11 which Peter puts our salvation in the future result of God’s grace, “But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.”

This concept of three aspects of grace is seen in Jesus’ words as well. We are in the world and yet not of the world (John 17:11, 16). Also in John 5:24, Jesus describes the three aspects of salvation as having “passed from death to life” (past tense), “has everlasting life” (present tense), and “shall not come into judgment” (future tense).

A particularly difficult passage in the book of Revelation (shocking I know to think that some parts of Revelation would be hard to understand) is Revelation 22:11. Here, the angel who is explaining things to John is telling of the final state of the unrighteous and the righteous, “He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.” Radio commentator J. Vernon McGee said this verse is perhaps the scariest verse of all of the book of Revelation for those who are condemned. But I also see it as perhaps the most reassuring verse for those of us who are going to experience God’s supreme grace. In eternity, we are going to grow and increase in our righteousness and holiness.

The fallen angels lost their place in heaven and could never regain it. They are reserved for judgment (Jude 6). Fallen humanity who receive salvation will gain the holiness of heaven by God’s grace and we shall never lose it. Peter who spoke in Acts 15 about our inheritance must have truly longed for this supreme aspect of grace, because he again spoke about being heirs together of the grace of life in 1 Peter 3:7. He spoke of “the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” in 1 Peter 1:13. And he concludes his letter with this great and blessed hope, “But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you” (1 Peter 5:10).

There are no better words than these to conclude this study on the key word of grace to the church!

KCP #24 pt. 2: Sustaining Grace

Sustaining Grace

It is in our daily walk with Christ after salvation, that we see the need, the necessity, the absolute centrality of God’s unmerited favor and undeserved blessing. And not just in our daily walk, but every hour, every minute, every second, we are kept, we are sustained and we are in need of and are the recipients of God’s sustaining GRACE.

Now where in the Bible do we see God’s sustaining grace? Virtually on every page and not just in the New Testament but from the beginning do we see God’s favor upon His people. For this study, let’s look at a few passages.

In Acts 14:26, we see this gem of a verse: “From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had completed.” It wasn’t salvation that was commended to Paul and the missionaries, but His sustaining grace, His presence and power which enabled them to do the work.

Let’s look somewhere else for God’s sustaining grace. 1 Corinthians 15:10 says, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”

It is God’s Saving Grace that raises us

from the mire of sin and shame,

It is God Sustaining Grace that restrains us

from returning to that from whence we came.

It is God’s Saving Grace that He bestows upon us

without cost, requirement or price

It is God’s Sustaining Grace that beckons us

to labor in love for our merciful Christ.

It is God’s Saving Grace that grants us faith

to have the promise to walk in heaven above

And it is God’s Sustaining Grace that gives us cause

to spread on earth His Saving Grace, Peace and Love.

God’s grace was not just to save you from the penalty of sin, grace is also freely given so that we can be delivered from the very power of sin. Paul says if you see anything good in me, it is not I who do it but it is God’s grace which makes me who I am. His grace wasn’t a one-time shot, nor was it in vain but his grace compels me to labor all the harder, all the more abundantly for He not only saved me, He sustains me. To underscore the power of grace versus the power of sin, Paul concludes chapter 15 to the Corinthians with this great word in verse , “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.”

For one more example of God’s sustaining grace, look at Acts 20:32, “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”

Look at what not only grace does to the believer but what the word of His grace does. The word of grace builds us up (sustaining grace) and gives us an inheritance (supreme grace). Some people say that we are saved by grace but we are kept saved by our works. Just think about that for a moment and you will see how ridiculous that is. Why would God save us by grace if He did not intent to keep us saved by His grace. It would be like a child receiving a gift at Christmas and the giver saying, “Now, son, this here toy is a gift and it is yours because I gave it to you. But now, if you want to play with it, or if you want to keep it, you are going to have to pay me for it each and every day.”

“Now wait a minute,” some may say, “My phone company gave me a gift of a I-phone, and it was free, but in order to use it, I have to pay a monthly charge.” If that is the case, that phone is not free, nor is it a gift, it is a shrewd motivation that hooks you into a contract of paying for that phone through monthly installments. Manufacturers of “free” and low cost printers do the same thing and then recover the cost of the gift by sticking you with super expensive printer cartridges. Buy one, get one free, is not “free” and neither is it truly a free salvation if you receive it by grace but keep salvation by works.

When Peter explained to the others in Acts 15 that those who received salvation by grace did not have to put on themselves the yoke of legalism and works that they could not bear, he was addressing the issue of circumcision. It was “no small dissension” among them and I should say so. We have people in our church who won’t join because they won’t get baptized by immersion—I cannot imagine how many men we would lose if we put the yoke of circumcision on them, let alone keeping the other elements of the law.

Grace doesn’t bind us to the law, grace builds us up in liberty from sin. If it weren’t for grace, we could not keep ourselves saved. We would not grow in respect to our salvation. I always want to know from people who believe saving grace is free, but sustaining grace is somehow merited or kept by works and could actually be lost, what make them think that supreme grace is eternal and everlasting. As Acts 20:32 says, we who are being sanctified by the word of grace also have an inheritance of eternal life by grace.