WANTED: Dead of Alive

“So our aim is to please him always, whether we are here in this body or away from this body. – Vs 9 NLT

Our aim is to please Him – always. Paul had one overwhelming ambition in his life – to please God with his life. He longed to be with the Lord, but was not content to wait for death and eternity to begin living a holy life, wholly pleasing to God. He was going to do it even when he was occupying this temporary dwelling called a human body. In chapter four he referred to his body as an earthen vessel or clay pot that was filled with the priceless treasure of God’s gift of salvation. Paul’s body, though having been beaten and abused time after time in his service for God, contained the Holy Spirit of God. Yet he says, “Our dying bodies make us groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and have no bodies at all. We want to slip into our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by everlasting life” (Vs 4 NLT). Paul looked forward to eternity, but he was not so heavenly minded that he was no earthly good. He was busy serving the Lord, making it his ambition to please God with his life as long as he had life. He makes it quite clear that he would prefer to be with the Lord. “Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord” (Vs 8 NLT). He understood that the Holy Spirit was given to us as a kind of “down-payment” or pledge to remind us of eternity. “God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit” (Vs 5 NLT). God has created us to share eternity with Him. That is our ultimate purpose. But Paul was going to take advantage of every moment of his life on this earth and ensure that he lived a life that was pleasing to God. Thinking about eternal life and the reality of having a renewed body gave Paul courage to live life for God on this earth (Vs 6). It allowed him to live by faith and not by sight (Vs 7). It gave him all the motivation he needed to live a life that was pleasing and acceptable to God.

Father, I want my life to be pleasing and acceptable to You. I want to live the life You have given me on this earth to the fullest and with my goal clearly to please You with all that I do. I understand that any ability I have to please You comes from Your Spirit within me and because of what Christ has done for me. I am a clay pot that contains the priceless treasure of salvation. That is what gives my life value and worth. That is what makes me pleasing to You. May I live my life in such a way that the truth of the life-transforming power of Jesus Christ is evident in my life each and every day.  Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Jars of Clay

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.“ – Vs 7 NIV

This is the verse from which this blog derives its name: Vessels of Clay. It is one of my favorite verses because it reminds me of the miracle and mystery of the Gospel message. That “this precious treasure – this light and power that now shine within us – is held in perishable containers, that is, in our weak bodies. So everyone can see that our glorious power is from God and is not our own” (NLT). God has placed the priceless treasure of salvation through the death of His Son in this frail, sometime failure-prone body. Why? So that everyone around me might see that anything I do of any worth is based on His power and not mine. It fits right in with our verse from yesterday: “It is not that we think we can do anything of lasting value by ourselves. Our only power and success come from God” (2 Corinthians 3:5 NLT).

We hold the light of God’s truth regarding salvation and sanctification in our earthly bodies. We are common, everyday clay pots – worth little or nothing and having no value in and of themselves. Yet God has chosen to place His own Spirit within us. He has determined to make us the receptacles of His divine power. It reminds me of 2 Timothy 2:20. “In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. If you keep yourself pure, you will be a utensil God can use for his purpose. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.” You see, the value is NOT in the container, but in the contents of that container. It is God’s presence and power that give us worth. This is the message Paul conveyed to the believers in Colossae. “For it has pleased God to tell his people that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. For this is the secret: Christ lives in you, and this is your assurance that you will share in his glory” (Colossians 1:27 NLT). His presence sanctifies me, sets me apart. His presence makes me holy – I belong to Him and now exist for His use. I am a “vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:21 NASB).

Father, thank You choosing to make me a vessel for honor by filling my life with Your presence through the death, burial, and resurrection of Your Son Jesus Christ. I am amazed that you would use me, and thrilled that You do. I bring nothing to You, but You have given all to me. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Consider the Source

“It is not that we think we can do anything of lasting value by ourselves. Our only power and success come from God.“ – Vs 5 NLT

What a timely reminder. My only power and success comes from God. Not from me. I can’t produce anything of lasting value by myself. Oh, I try. Every day I attempt to do things in my own power and strength. But the long-term results are less-than-stellar. In fact, there are no long-term results of any lasting value. God is the source behind anything I produce that is of value. But it is so easy to forget that fact. I can begin to believe my own PR. I can become a victim of my own reputation. I start to believe what others think and say about me. But Paul reminds me that it isn’t about me. It’s about God and His Son Jesus Christ. It is they who made me, saved me, are sanctifying me, and empowering me to live a godly life.

As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive his own glory and goodness! And by that same mighty power, he has given us all of his rich and wonderful promises. He has promised that you will escape the decadence all around you caused by evil desires and that you will share in his divine nature. So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better. Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness. Godliness leads to love for other Christians, and finally you will grow to have genuine love for everyone. – 2 Peter 1:3-7 NLT

God has given me all the resources I need to live a godly life. I find the power I need in the truth of the Gospel message, where I find His promises for not only eternal life, but for this life. “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8 NIV). A life of godliness holds promise for this life – right here, right now. I don’t have to wait for heaven! Paul reminds me, “I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need” (Philippians 4:13 NLT). The strength I need comes from Him. The power I need comes from Him. The godliness I desire comes from Him. Anything of value that comes from my life is a result of Him.

And every day I am being transformed  increasingly into the likeness of Jesus Christ – through the indwelling power of God. “And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more” (2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT).

Father, thank You that my adequacy comes from You and not me. Never let me forget that I am completely dependent on You for what I need for life and godliness. You are at work in me, transforming me into the likeness of Your Son. Any progress I see is a result of Your work, not mine. Any glimmer of godliness in me is the work of Your Spirit, not my own effort. My power and success comes completely from You. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Captive, Yet Captivating

“But thanks be to God, who made us his captives and leads us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now wherever we go he uses us to tell others about the Lord and to spread the Good News like a sweet perfume.“ – Vs 14 NLT

The picture Paul uses here is that of a conquering king or general leading a victory procession through the streets of his home town with his captive enemies being paraded behind him as a visible sign of his power and triumph. Paul says that he is one of Christ’s captives. He has been “conquered” by Christ and made His slave. This was not a negative to Paul, but a positive. In his letter to the Romans he says this, “Don’t you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master? You can choose sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God and receive his approval” (Romans 6:16 NLT). Paul viewed himself as a willing slave to a new Master – God the Father. His life had been captured by the victorious effort of Jesus Christ on the cross. Christ had defeated sin and death, and now was leading Paul and others in a daily victory celebration that was visible for all to see. This procession is a demonstration of His power. Our place in that parade tells others that we serve a new master and that we no longer serve sin. Unlike conquered soldiers, who were humiliated in the streets and later executed, we are now citizens of the very kingdom we used to war against. We enjoy all the rights and privileges as citizens of the kingdom of God.

Our lives give off a fragrance, an aroma, based on the knowledge we have of Jesus Christ and His life-transforming, sin-defeating power. Again, Paul uses the imagery of the victory procession. At the head of the parade, incense was burned. It was a tangible manifestation of the victor’s achievement. We are that incense. Our lives are to give off a sweet-smelling aroma to all those watching. But verse 15 also reminds us that “our lives are a fragrance presented by Christ to God” (NLT). God is pleased when He sees us being led by Christ. When our lives are “in line” with Christ, it brings joy and pleasure to God. But those in the crowds who are watching this victory parade are also able to “smell” the aroma we give off. Paul says, “To those who are perishing we are a fearful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved we are a life–giving perfume” (Vs 16 NLT). Some look at this victory procession and only see death and defeat. They live for the wrong kingdom and do not look on Christ’s victory as a pleasant thing. They only see enslavement. They smell death and defeat. They want nothing to do with Christ or us. But others, who are “being saved,” are attracted to what they see. They are intrigued by this victory celebration. They look at our lives and are attracted. They are those in the crowd of bystanders who see Christ’s victory with a new sense of hope.

“In the Messiah, in Christ, God leads us from place to place in one perpetual victory parade. Through us, he brings knowledge of Christ. Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance” (Vs 14 MSG). Are people breathing in the exquisite fragrance of the knowledge of Christ from my life. I hope so.

Father, I want my life to be a pleasing aroma to You. And I know that it is because it is all based on what Christ has done, not what I am doing. He is the victor, not me. He is the deliverer, not me. You are pleased because of what He has done. I am His slave. And as long as I willingly remain His slave, my life will bring a pleasing aroma to You. It will also give off a fragrance to all those around me. Some will be attracted to it, others will be repulsed by it. I don’t need to worry about their reaction, but I just need to remain obedient to Your Son. Help me to do so. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

God-dependent. Not self-dependent.

“We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have been honest and sincere in all our dealings. We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own earthly wisdom. That is how we have acted toward everyone, and especially toward you.“ – Vs 12 NLT

“We have been dependent on God’s grace.”

Isn’t that what we all want to be able to say as Christ followers? Yet we find it hard to look at life that way. I would rather not have to admit that this thing called the Christian life is NOT about me and my ability to pull it off. I don’t want to acknowledge that it is first and foremost about the grace of God and the unmerited, unwarranted favor He shows me each and every day as one of His children. This is HIS story and I am just a bit player in it. But so often I want to make the story about me. I tend to view God as a participant in my drama, stepping into the scenes of my unfolding life story as I deem it necessary. I am the star and He plays a supporting role in my story.

But Paul knew better. He was fully aware that he owed everything to God. His salvation was a gift from God. But so was his daily sanctification. His ability to endure the pressures associated with his calling were a gift from God. The fact that he could say that he and his associates had been “honest and sincere in all our dealings” was the result of the grace of God. It wasn’t about Paul. It was about God. It wasn’t because he was smart or more talented than the next guy. No, it was because God had showered His grace on Paul. The Message paraphrases verse 12 this way: “But it wasn’t by any fancy footwork on our part. It was [God] who kept us focused on him, uncompromised.” Paul even attributed his ability to stay focused on God to God. He was 100% completely, unequivocally dependent upon God for anything and everything. And that is how each of us should live as followers of Christ. God-dependent, Christ-focused, and Holy Spirit-empowered. It reminds me of the great old hymn, I Need Thee Every Hour.

I need thee every hour; stay thou nearby;                                                                                                                                                                                                temptations lose their power when thou art nigh.

I need thee every hour, in joy or pain; come quickly and abide, or life is vain.

I need thee, O I need thee;
every hour I need thee;
O bless me now, my Savior, I come to thee.

I need Thee every hour. Every hour I need Thee. Is that really true? Can I really say that and mean it? I want to. Because I have learned and am learning that my wisdom, intelligence, talent, and overall abilities are no match for this journey called the Christian life. I need the grace of God each and every day of my life. And thankfully, His grace is free each and every day of my life!

Father, thank You for Your abundant, amazing grace. May I grow increasingly ever dependent upon it. And may I never forget that I can’t live this life without it. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

A Few Last Words

“Be on guard. Stand true to what you believe. Be courageous. Be strong.“ – Vs -13 NLT

As Paul closes out this letter to the Corinthians believers, he gives them a few last words to encourage them in their faith until he should get to see them again. Verse 13 of 1 Corinthians 16 has become one of my favorites over the last few years. It has actually been one of the key verses I have used in our ministry to men at Christ Chapel for almost five years. In the New American Standard Version it reads this way, “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” It is a powerful call to men that gives them four action items to consider. But the truth is, this verse is not just for men. It is for all of us as believers.

Be on guard

We must be ready at all times. Like sentries guarding the gate to a city, we must have our eyes open to the realities of the spiritual war in which we are engaged. We can’t afford to act as if we live in peacetime. We can’t fall asleep at our post and not expect the enemy to back off in his relentless attach against us. We are to remain alert, awake, vigilant – at all times. The Greek word means “to take heed lest through remission (lack of labor) and indolence (laziness) some destructive calamity suddenly overtake one.” We’ve got to remain spiritually alert.

Stand true to what you believe

Stand firm. Hold your ground. Paul urges us to persevere and not give up. But we are to persevere based on the truth of what it is we say we believe. Do you believe God is in control? Then stand firm. Do you believe Jesus died for your sins? Then stand firm. Do you believe the Holy Spirit lives within you and provides the power you need to live the life you’ve been called to live? Then stand firm. We are to stand firm based on the faith we have in truth of the gospel. We are not to waver from it. Yet that is exactly what the enemy wants us to do. Which is why we must remain alert. He wants to get us off focus and off task. He wants us to waver in unbelief. We must stand true to what we believe.

Be courageous

Act like men. The actual Greek word means “to show yourself a man.” Paul is saying we are to act like men, not boys. It is almost as if he is saying, “act your age!” We are to grow up and man up. We are soldiers in the army of God and we have a mission to accomplish. We must not cower in fear or run away from the battle. We must engage. Not in our own strength, but in the power of God. He is the Lord of Hosts – the Lord of armies. We fight for the winning side. So be courageous.

Be strong

This is not a call to become something we are not. It is a call to increase in what we already have. To grow in our strength. The Greek means “to increase in strength; to be strengthened.” As we are alert, stand firm, and show courage, we will increase in strength. We will see our faith increased. We will see our patience increased. We will see our hope increased. As we fight alongside God, we will grow stronger. We will see His power revealed in and around our lives and our strength will increase.

Four powerful admonitions we all need to hear. But Paul doesn’t stop there. He adds one more thing. In the next verse he adds to one little caveat: “And everything you do must be done with love” (Vs 14 NLT). Love must permeate all we do. Love is why I stay alert, show courage, act like a man, and grow in strength. I am to be motivated by love for others. I am alert so that I can protect and defend those around me. I am courageous so that I can encourage the faint-hearted. I act like a man because I have a job to do and I care for others. As I grow in strength I am able to love others even more. Everything I do is to be done with an attitude of selfless, sacrificial love.

We live in difficult days, but God has given us everything we need for life and godliness. He has given us one another. He has given us His Spirit. He has provided us with His power. He has showered us with His love. So, be on guard, stand true to what you believe, be courageous, be strong, and let everything you do be done with love.

Father, may these verses be a picture of my life.  Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

The Gospel Gap

“Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved…“ – Vs -12 NASB

Paul was writing to believers in the city of Corinth. These people already had a relationship with Jesus Christ. They had already placed their faith in His atoning work on the cross. But Paul finds it necessary to remind them about the gospel message that he had preached to them initially. He says it is the same message “by which also you are saved.” He then goes on to explain once again what that message included:

•  Christ died for our sins (Vs 3)

•  He was buried (Vs 4)

•  He was raised on the third day (Vs 4)

•  We have eye-witness proof of His resurrection(Vs 5-7)

•  He also appeared to Paul (Vs 8)

This message is the basis of their salvation. The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ is what we place our hope on for the future. His resurrection is central to our faith. Without it, “our preaching is in vain, your faith also is vain” (Vs 14 NASB). “And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless, and you are still under condemnation for your sins” (Vs 17 NLT). The message of the resurrection of Christ is a non-negotiable element of the gospel story. There is no story without it.

But not only does the gospel save us, it continues to save us. This is not a one-time deal. We aren’t just saved at the moment we place our faith in Christ. We are being saved daily. The gospel story goes on. The Good News is ongoing good news. It didn’t stop at my conversion, but continues on through my transformation or sanctification into Christ-likeness, and will not stop until my ultimate glorification when the Lord returns. The gospel is more than just a ticket to heaven. It is the means by which I live the life I have been called to live. It is the story of redemption and restoration that is ongoing in my life every day. I must go back to the message that “Christ died for our sins” each and every day. When I sin today, and I will (in fact, I already have), I must go back to the cross and remind myself that He died for that sin as well. He has paid for that sin. I must confess it, repent of it (turn from it), and accept His forgiveness for it. I must daily take my sin back to the cross and be reminded of the price He paid there so that I would be free from slavery to sin in my life. The cross reminds me that I am free. I don’t have to pay for my sin, because He already has.

Paul tells the Corinthians that not only are they saved by the gospel, they STAND on the gospel. “Now let me remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then and still do now, for your faith is built on this wonderful message” (Vs 1 NLT). We stand on the gospel message every day of our lives. It is our foundation for living in this world. The Greek word for “stand” is hestime and it has a range of meanings. But I think Paul has in mind the idea of “to cause a person or a thing to keep his or its place.” The message of the gospel causes us to remain firm even in the midst of all the uncertainties of life. We go back to the gospel each and every day and find our hope, assurance, and comfort. He really did die for my sins. He really did pay the price I couldn’t pay. He really did rise again. He really does sit at the right hand of the Father. He really is coming again some day.

But the fact is that Christ has been raised from the dead. He has become the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again. So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, Adam, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man, Christ.  Everyone dies because all of us are related to Adam, the first man. But all who are related to Christ, the other man, will be given new life. – 1 Corinthians 15:20-22 NLT

We are saved by the gospel. We stand on the gospel. It is our hope from beginning to end. In his book Respectable Sins, Jerry bridges talks about preaching the gospel to himself daily. Here is how he describes it:

“Since the gospel is only for sinners, I begin each day with the realization that despite my being a saint, I still sin every day in thought, word, deed, and motive. If I am aware of any subtle, or not so subtle, sins in my life, I acknowledge those to God. Even if my conscience is not indicting me for conscious sins, I still acknowledge to God that I have not even come close to loving Him with all my being or loving my neighbor as myself. I repent of those sins, and then I apply specific Scriptures that assure me of God’s forgiveness to those sins I have just confessed.

I then generalize the Scripture’s promises of God’s forgiveness to all my life and say to God words to the effect that my only hope of a right standing with Him that day is Jesus’ blood shed for my sins, and His righteous life lived on my behalf. This reliance on the twofold work of Christ for me is beautifully captured by Edward Mote in his hymn “The Solid Rock” with his words, “My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” Almost every day, I find myself going to those words in addition to reflecting on the promises of forgiveness in the Bible.”

Stand on the gospel. It is a firm foundation, the solid rock, a reliable resource for life in this world.

Father, thank You for the gospel.Thank You that I can stand on it every day for what I face in this life. Let me preach it to myself daily. Let me never forget that through the gospel, You have given “everything we need for living a godly life” (2 Peter 1:3 NLT).  Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org