Facing a Test and God's Promise in 1 Corinthians 10:13

"Every test that you have experienced is the kind that normally comes to people. But God keeps his promise, and He will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, He will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it" (Good News Translation; New American Standard Bible).

This verse points out that we all face tests on this fallen sinful planet to one degree or another by way of a

• trial,
• trouble,
• tribulation or
• terribly horrific ordeal.

Whatever the intensity of the test, the promise is given that our faithful God will provide the spiritual strength to endure it and thereby pass the test, when we keep trusting Him.  The "way of escape" may not be out from under the test but always must include renewing our faith and confidence in the Word of God and His promises, knowing that He will provide endurance when we are trusting in Him to do so.

Sometimes we might think that the test is too much.  It just seems that there is no hope and we cannot see how God will see us through it.  When this is where we are, the key to renewing faith in God is to bring ourselves to the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ and remember what our God did for us there.  Bring to mind that He chose to come to this wretched sinful world as a man to serve us.  Keep in mind what we are told in Philippians 2:

" . . . Although Christ Jesus existed in the form of God, He did not regard equality with God something to which He would completely hold on to, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross."

When we focus on the truth of the depth of God's love for us that He so clearly demonstrated by being united with true humanity so that He could serve us and deliver us from sin and its effects by His suffering and death, this should help us renew our trust in Him to see us through the test we are facing.

This one thing we can count on for sure:  we are going to be tested.  This is a huge part of life as it is on planet earth.  But the Lord Jesus will give us the grace to endure the tests, if--and this is a big if--if we keep on placing our confidence in Him and His Spirit and in His Word and not in our strength or ability.  May we not be like the children of Israel who failed miserably in doing this (1 Corinthians 10:1ff.).  And may we be alert to the deceptive thinking that we can face whatever tests may come in our own strength (10:12).

Grace Needed to be Courageous

by Eldon DeBoer

God calls us to be courageous as we engage ourselves in spiritual warfare. And there is a battle raging for the hearts and souls of everyone around us. And, apart from God providing the grace to win these spiritual battles, we won't win as we should. We won't have the courage to keep on fighting for His honor and glory.

The movie “Courageous” has had a powerful impact on my soul. It presents a tremendous challenge—especially to husbands and fathers. In my humble opinion, everybody ought to see it. Take the time and “just do it”! But it might be too much for some men to take. Especially if they are not willing to take up the challenge to courageously look to the Lord to become the husbands and fathers that God calls them to become.

Dads, there is only one perfect father, the heavenly Father. But He calls us to be like Him (Matthew 5:48). While He certainly knows we cannot be perfectly like Him all the time, He still calls us to be like Him, just the same. And apart from His grace we cannot do this. Apart from His grace we cannot keep on growing in becoming more like Him.

If there is anything that I would have added to the “Courageous” movie, it's the desperate need we have for God's grace to live out the truth. The group of men in the movie—who are all cops by the way—make a solemn resolution to God and before their families to be and become the men God has called them to be. Their vow included this: "I WILL seek to honor God, be faithful to His church, obey His Word, and do His will. I WILL courageously work with the strength God provides to fulfill this resolution for the rest of my life and for His glory. 'As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.'" --Joshua 24:15

The need we all have for God's grace to live out the truth should to be emphasized as it is in the New Testament Scriptures. For apart from a grace emphasis the strong tendency is to attempt to apply the truth in our own strength. Apart from God's grace we will fail. We will fail to live out the truth to the glory of Christ. For apart from Him we can do nothing that has eternal value before God (John 15:5).

When I was still in my teens (I think I was about 15 or 16) my mother shared with me that when she got pregnant with me she was not happy about it. She had four children already and she thought she was a failure as a mom. She certainly did not want a fifth child. But my mom had a tender heart toward the Lord. And she cried out to Him for help. The Lord gave Mom this verse:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9; NASB)

There is a basic truth presented in this verse that each and every one of us need to keep in mind in our quest to heed the command to “be courageous.” The Lord our God is with us! If you have believed in Jesus, He is with you and He will give you His grace that you so desperately need to be strong and courageous. The Lord gave my mom the grace she needed for my benefit and for the benefit of my older brothers and sisters as well. I am so thankful that my parents loved the Lord and wanted what was best for me. And you can count on the Lord to give you the grace you need for the benefit of those you love. You can count on Him for His grace in the spiritual battle for the application of truth in your home and community.

We are all at different stages of growth in our relationship with God. For my children's sake I wish I knew back when they were younger what I know now so that I would have had more insight to apply the truth more meaningfully for their benefit. I was not the father I wish I would have been for their sake. I'm still growing. I'm still growing in the grace and knowledge of my Lord and Savior and, therefore, I was not what I am now (duh?). But by God's grace I can keep on advancing and keep on becoming the man God calls me to be for the sake of my wife and children. And for the sake of those close to me whose lives the Lord gives me the privilege to touch.

“We were made to be courageous!” (check out the Casting Crowns video). May we keep on encouraging each other to keep on looking to the Lord Jesus for His grace to be courageous in the application of truth for His glory and honor.

I appreciate very much your comments and questions (edeboer.gmm@gmail.com).

Freedom for Transformation by Grace

by Eldon DeBoer

Are you held in slavery to a set of rules or things you think you need to do to be accepted by God and enjoy Him forever?

Believe Jesus' words!  He said that the one who believes in Him has everlasting life ((John 6:47).  Just believe in Him and He gives you the free gift of an awesome life with Him forever and an abundant meaningful life now as you continue to walk with Him by faith.

The sad commentary on the lives of many believers in Christ Jesus is that while they once understood that they have been delivered from their sins and eternal death by God's grace in Christ Jesus, they now are living their life under the Law. Sadly, many believers become confused about God's grace plan for their life much like the Corinthians to whom Paul wrote long ago. The result is that they do not have the joy of true freedom in Christ but, sadly, they are living a life of slavery to rules and regulations that they think they have to obey in order to know that they are secure in their eternal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Just reading through 2 Corinthians 2:14 – 6:2 should cause us to draw these conclusions:

> The Law of Moses can only bring death. 
> The Spirit of God is the One who gives life. 
>  In Christ there is freedom to be transformed into His likeness by His love and grace. 

Paul puts it this way in 2 Corinthians 3:6:

"[God] has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant (the contract agreement God signed with the blood of His Son) --not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."

What is Paul’s main point? The Law of Moses had its God-given purpose. It brought death and illustrated the reasons for death. It was a message of condemnation (3:9). We have disobeyed God’s Word. We have sinned against God and therefore we die. Left to ourselves we will live in torment and be forever separated from God.

What is it that kills? What is it that can only produce death? It is God's Law that "was engraved in letters on stone" (3:7). Only the Spirit of God is able to make us alive in Christ through faith in Him (2 Corinthians 4:13-16; cf. 3:16). Only through faith in Christ is the veil of the Law taken away with its fading glory (3:14). 

At the very moment that we believed in Jesus Christ, we died with Him when God identified us with Him in His death (2 Corinthians 5:15; cp. Ephesians 1:13-14). God has reconciled us to Himself by means of Christ’s work in our place (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). Christ Jesus took our sin upon Himself so that we might receive God’s righteousness (5:21). Paul clearly taught that this was appropriated to us not by any works or obedience to God's Law (His rules) but by believing in Jesus Christ. 

Whenever any human effort or obedience is presented as a requirement for deliverance from sin or maintaining one’s eternal relationship with Christ Jesus, only confusion can result. There is the real danger of the veil remaining over the hearts of believers who once understood the grace message of the gospel but have become confused. Any true transformation into the likeness of Christ Jesus is impossible as long as the believer views his obedience as necessary in order to keep what God says that he already possesses--namely eternal life. 

The mirror of God’s grace in Christ Jesus is blurred by setting forth any requirement of obedience to the Law or God's rules for maintaining one's eternal relationship with Christ Jesus. The message of grace in Christ is distorted. And consequently believers return to slavery to the Law.

The only way the Spirit of the Lord ministers and gives life is by turning to the Lord Jesus Christ in faith, believing that He and He alone saves and guarantees everlasting life. He can give us life with God forever because of who He is and what He has done for us on the cross of Calvary. Likewise, the Spirit of the Lord is the One who brings about our transformation into the likeness of Christ by His grace as we keep fixing our eyes on Christ Jesus in faith, keeping in mind His love for us as we continue to trust Him for His strength to apply His Word.

Is obedience and pleasing the Lord Jesus important? Of course!!! But we experience the freedom of His grace only when we obey Him in gratitude for His love and for the many gifts He has given, not because we fear that if we do not keep obeying Him He will take away what He in fact has freely given us through faith in Him.

Jesus Christ made it possible for us to enter heaven by His suffering and death in our place. By believing in Him we receive everlasting life with Him. The wondrous love that Christ Jesus has for us includes our position in Him, giving us resurrection bodies and rewarding us for faithful service. Paul brought this into view in 2 Corinthians 4:14-5:13. Then he explained (the explanatory gar in the Greek text introduces 5:14) to the Corinthians that he and Timothy did what they did because they understood the significance of Jesus Christ's love for them:

2 Corinthians 5:14-16  "For the love of Christ constrains (compels or motivates) us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;  and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer." 

The love that Jesus Christ so clearly demonstrated to us by His suffering and death on the cross provides real substance for the meaning and application of grace in our life. In verse 14 Paul uses the verb sunecho (pres.act.ind.). It is translated “constrains” or “controls” in other English versions. How this verb is used elsewhere helps us understand its meaning. When we comprehend the love Christ has for us, it "hems" us in (Luke 19:43), it "presses" us to act (Philippians 1:23). The grace demonstrated by the love of Jesus Christ has everything do with being properly motivated to please the Lord when we obey His commands. This is how the grace of God revealed by the love of Christ for us instructs and trains us (cf. Titus 2:11-14).

The only way the Spirit brings about transformation is by God’s grace in Christ Jesus. It is all His work in us and through us. When this is not the emphasis, when this is not understood and applied, there is a real danger that believers have received the grace of God in vain (2 Corinthians 6:1-2).We should not put up with a message that is a message of death that kills. Study Paul's concern for the believers in Corinth in 2 Corinthians 11:3-4. The false teaching that declares that God's rules must be kept in order to retain one's eternal relationship with Christ is in opposition to the message of grace. This false teaching will keep people in slavery to those rules. How can anyone rejoice in a message of condemnation and death? Yet, many believers today continue to "put up with it easily enough" (2 Corinthians 11:4 in the NIV), as is evident by what is commonly taught and practiced by many. 

We are delivered from sin and death and receive eternal life by believing in Jesus Christ. And we are transformed into His likeness by His Spirit as we keep fixing our eyes on Him and His Word with faith in Him to enable us to obey.

"Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3:1-18).

We are free to become more like Him only as we obey Him in response to His love and grace.

Don't take my word for it. Carefully study and think through what Paul is teaching, beginning in 2 Corinthians 3. You will probably find that this is not easy reading material. You are in good company. The Apostle Peter admitted that Paul's writings were "hard to understand" (2 Peter 3:15-16) But keep working at it. The reward is fantastic.  If you lost sight of it and have become enslaved to a set of rules, you might realize once again the freedom found in God's grace message for your life.

If you have questions about any of the above, send me an e-mail (edeboer.gmm@gmail.com) and I'll be pleased to do my best to respond.

Like Paul did for the leaders of Ephesus, I entrust you to God "and the message of His grace which is able to build you up . . ." (Acts 20:32). Only this wonderful message of grace is able to build you up in your relationship with God.

Enthralled by Christ's Grace Message

by Eldon DeBoer

It has been said that our emotions are the responders of our souls. To narrow it down, when we ponder a particular truth, we may have an emotional response within our heart and soul. Should not all believers in Christ Jesus be enthralled by His grace message?

Interestingly enough the word enthralled was formerly used of being held in slavery. It then came to mean to be held “spellbound” (www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary). We may become captivated and overwhelmed with emotion when we contemplate the truth of the grace of Christ Jesus. When we know Christ Jesus and the message of His grace we should be enthralled. When we read with understanding verses like 2 Corinthians 8:9, we may become spellbound:

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich” (NASB).

Think of it! In eternity past God the Son chose to set aside the complete expression of His attributes as God when He was united with true humanity in the Person of Jesus of Nazareth so that He could serve us. He “became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.” This should enthrall us! Knowing that our great God chose to do this for us should captivate us.

The great God who created all things and is the King of kings became poor for us so that He could serve us.  And by serving us in His death He defeated the devil and, therefore, we need no longer fear death (Hebrews 2:14-15). This should enthrall us! Christ Jesus took the sting out of death! (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).

Therefore we serve Him and make Him Lord of our life (1 Peter 3:15), deciding to please Him again and again because of what He has done for us. We “love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). We are enthralled with who He is and what He has done for us and so we keep on choosing to honor Him. While we often fail to do this as we should, by the Lord's grace and by His strength (John 15:5), we can recover and be forgiven (1 John 1:9) and renew our commitment to Him over and over again.

Fix your eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-3) and become more and more enthralled with Him and His grace message