“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that we should walk in them.”

— Ephesians 2:10

Nomos is a Greek word for law. “Anti-nomianism” would describe the position of those who are against the law. They do not realize that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in order that we may serve God, and that we can only serve God by obeying His commandments.

There is nothing that anyone of us can do that is pleasing to God except to obey His commandments, even as Jesus humbled Himself and showed his humility by becoming obedient, and He always pleased His father by keeping His commandments.

So also, since we have been saved by the grace of God, we are saved unto good works. Ephesians 2:8-9 says that we are saved by grace through faith. The next verse is the text above. This does not mean we are saved by faith plus good works. No. We are saved by faith alone, but that faith is never alone. If it is genuine, it results in good works.

Paul says in Titus that it is not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy that He saved us.

Antinomianism is the spirit of the age. Some have perverted the Gospel to mean that we can live like we want and not have to worry about a holy God because He has already forgiven us. This is cheap grace. Salvation actually is by good works—the good works of Jesus Christ who died on the cross on our behalf.

My Savior and Lord, thank You for Your work on my behalf. Thank You for living in perfect obedience and for always pleasing Your Father. Lord, give me strength for today to do with joy the works You have laid before…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN
LIVE LIVES PLEASING TO HIM.

“For by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.”

— Galatians 2:16

Some professing Christians think they can keep God’s law and thereby get to heaven. I have often asked such people to name the Ten Commandments, and usually they can name only three at the most.

A legalist is a person who says that we are not saved by grace alone through faith alone, but rather, we are saved by faith plus obedience to the law. This is the doctrine of some of the more traditional churches, the doctrine of most all of your cults, and it is the doctrine of vast numbers of other people who may belong to one or another organization.

But it would add to the grace of God and the finished work of Christ some effort, some works, some doings of ourselves. The Apostle Paul makes it very plain, however, that as soon as we place ourselves under the law as a means, either in whole or in part, to get us into heaven that immediately we become debtors to do the whole law. Salvation is either of grace or it is of law. And it is not a combination of both.

If we choose to put ourselves under law, then if we offend in any point we would, therefore, become guilty and would be culpable and could be punished.

God’s law points us to the need for Christ. While we can’t fulfill it perfectly, after we get saved, it provides some of the standards we strive to live by to show our love for Christ.

Lord Jesus, help me to see clearly that You have saved me purely by Your grace. Now that You have saved me, give me strength for today to walk in obedience to Your commandments, unto good works. Let me in gratitude keep Your law…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE
CAN LIVE IN OBEDIENCE.

“For freedom Christ freed us. Stand fast therefore and do not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”

— Galatians 5:1

We must avoid two heresies: either turning the Gospel of liberty into licentiousness or into legalism.

The Gospel gives us freedom. But some encourage us to pervert that freedom into a freedom to sin freely. That is license, not liberty. Jude describes it this way: “For there are some men who secretly crept in, who were marked long ago for this condemnation. They are ungodly men, who pervert the grace of our God into immorality and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ” (verse 4).

Paul warns against such abuse of liberty: “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? God forbid!” (Romans 6:15). But the other extreme is trading liberty for legalism. In Galatians, we have one overall thrust of this book, which is God’s antidote against legalism. You will recall in Galatians we are to stand fast in the liberty Christ has given us. Galatians opposes legalism.

Legalism essentially says that by obeying some set of laws or rules, one may in some way make oneself acceptable to the Almighty. Martin Luther said, “The most damnable and pernicious idea which has ever plagued the minds of men is the idea that poor, sinful, fallen, depraved man could ever make himself good enough to live in the presence of an all-holy and sin-hating God.”

May God give us the grace to walk in the liberty Christ has made available to us. It is freedom to obey His commands out of love.

Lord, give me strength for today that I might glory in the freedom You have given us without misusing it. Thank You for setting us free from all bondage and strivings to make ourselves acceptable to You…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE
CAN WALK IN FREEDOM.

“Always be ready to give an answer to every man who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you…”

— 1 Peter 3:15

Today we live in a day when it is necessary to contend for the faith. Peter said that we should always be able to provide a defense for the faith. We are called upon to proclaim the Word.

I remember I used to hear in seminary all the time men who would give sermons on how there was no need to defend the Word of God. It is like my having a trained, powerfully strong dog on a chain, and I have to go out and defend my dog? Of course, there is a certain element of truth in there, but we are called upon to defend the teachings of the Gospel.

God has been pleased to commit the Gospel into the hands of men, who can twist it or distort it, deny it, or whatever, and so we are called upon to defend it. We are to contend for this faith lest it should be perverted, as it has been so many times in the past. Thank God for the Reformers and men who were able to see the need of purifying the Word and bringing us back to the true meaning of it.

Years ago I saw a painting which I have never forgotten. It was a painting of a large anvil. Around the anvil on the floor lay scattered scores of shattered, smashed hammers and, underneath, the words of the text: “The word of the Lord endureth forever.” The attacks on the Bible break, but God’s Word stands strong.

Father God, we thank You for Your Word, and we ask that You give us strength for today that we might be true defenders of the pure doctrine You have revealed and not let it be perverted and twisted…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN
EMBRACE TRUE DOCTRINE.

“To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints…”

— Romans 1:7

I am always amazed when I go up to someone and I say, “How are you today, Saint Sue?” or Saint Mike. Many times people will say, “Well, I’m not a saint.” Well, you better be. There is not going to be anybody but saints who are going to go to heaven.

Now, of course, many people have sort of a Roman Catholic concept of that—a saint is somebody who has won sort of the prize of the year for being exemplary. The first thing you need to do to become a saint according to the Roman church is be dead a long time, and then they will look the thing over very carefully and decide if you are a saint.

But it is a very interesting thing to me that Paul and the other apostles wrote their epistles to saints. And, of course, the saints receiving these letters were very much alive. A saint is someone who has been sanctified and is being sanctified, which means essentially that person is set aside unto God. So to be called a saint is at once an honor, it is also an exhortation. It is an honor that we are called those that are sanctified, set aside unto God. It is an exhortation that we should live as saints and that we have a high calling to live as those who are separated from sin and cleansed and godly.

Holy Father, give us strength for today to live holy lives. Thank You that we are already Your saints. Help us to grow in holiness and always live a life worthy of belonging to You…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH AND POWER,
WE ARE SAINTS.

“And I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.”

— Ezekiel 36:26

The term “salvation” in Scripture is a broad term that includes within its compass all of the acts and processes of God whereby we are saved. Initially, these include justification and regeneration. We are quickened by God, brought to life, which is regeneration, and we are granted faith and repentance on the basis of which we are then justified. These are both acts of God and they are instantaneous.

Then, however, there is the process of sanctification, which is a long process that is never completed in this life. Our sanctification takes place slowly. It has its ups and downs. There may be great spurts. There may be times of great backsliding, but this process continues on as God continues to sanctify us.

When we are in Christ and growing in Him, we are being sanctified by God, the Spirit. God is working in our hearts to cleanse us and to separate us from sin. The interesting thing about sanctification is that the more you have of it, the less you are aware of it. It is like a man who is both filthy dirty and totally blind having two operations performed on him at once. He is slowly and progressively being cleansed and slowly and progressively being given his eyesight, so with his increased acuity of vision, he is able to see more and more sin or dirt as it were on himself than he was able to see before.

Justification is a one-time act, but Scripturally speaking, sanctification is more of a process.

Lord, You who sanctifies me, give me strength for today to grow in holiness. As I do, forgive me for my sin, which I see more clearly. Let this process ever go forward in my life, until You bring me safely home and then glorify me…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH AND HOLY SPIRIT,
WE ARE SET APART FOR GOD.

“Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind…”

— 1 Peter 5:2 kjv

How often do we hear accusations against ministers or ministries, “Oh, they’re just in it for the money”? The Bible tells us that those who work should be paid, including ministers. But no one should pursue the “ministry” for greed’s sake. Yet tragically some do.

I receive a great many invitations to speak, and I turn down well over 99 percent of them. Very frequently I am asked ,”How much do you charge to speak? What honorarium do you require?” And there are ministers who have set honorariums, sometimes running into thousands of dollars. I have always replied that that is their problem (as to how much to pay me) and I leave it with them.

We are not to minister for money. We are not to feed the flock of God “for filthy lucre,” and I would say to those going into the ministry that I think this is a very vital thing and we need to trust in God for our provision and not trust in men.

I am not in the ministry for money, nor should anyone be. I have been absolutely convinced that God was going to provide for all of my needs and, therefore, that was just not something that was an issue. I can say that God has certainly provided abundantly for all of my needs over the years.

Lord, give us strength for today that we never do a good deed for money or recognition or any gain, but let us always serve You out of love. Thank You, Jehovah-Jireh, for Your provision…

BY HIS STRENGTH, WE CAN
BE FREED FROM GREED.

“Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly…”

— Philippians 3:19 kjv

Paul talks about enemies of Christianity “whose god is their belly.” As commentators would agree, I think here he is referring not merely to food. Though many of them no doubt are gluttons, this would be a metaphor for an inordinate love of all earthly, worldly and material things.

Jesus said, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Thus, it is fine to ask God to meet our material needs. But the person whose god is his belly loves the material things of this earth beyond normal appetites.

In his first epistle, Peter refers to such people and rebukes those who would abuse the Gospel as a means for filthy gain: “Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, take care of them, not by constraint, but willingly, not for dishonest gain, but eagerly” (1 Peter 5:2).

And so Peter is warning us of the same thing that Paul is warning us of—we are not to minister for money’s sake, and we need always to be watchful for those who wear the clerical garb and yet do it for money’s sake. I am always concerned when I see would-be ministers that are too concerned about the things of this world.

Paul tells us that the workman is worthy of his hire. But people should not go into the ministry for money’s sake. The Gospel is good news. It is not for sale. The only price paid for the Gospel is the price of the blood of Jesus.

Lord, give us the strength to seek You and not to seek after pleasures. We thank You for what You give us. Help us to be ever mindful to seek Your kingdom and Your righteousness…

BY HIS STRENGTH, WE CAN
SEEK GOD’S KINGDOM FIRST.

“For many are walking in such a way that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ. I have told you of them often and tell you again, even weeping.”

— Philippians 3:18

I remember my old pastor telling me one time when he visited me at seminary, “James, remember that the enemies of Christ will always attack the Cross, the blood of Christ and this will be the object of their attack and their ridicule,” and I have found that to be so.

Paul notes in 1 Corinthians 1:22: “For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom.” And so it is; there are those who seek miracles and unless they can find the miracle they can’t seem to believe. The Greeks sought after wisdom and philosophy, like the humanists of our time.

Paul adds, “But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks” (verse 23). Then He notes that the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of the world.

Meanwhile, it is the blood of the Savior that is most despised and hated by an ungodly and unregenerate world. But as Paul says in Philippians 3:18 of the enemies of the cross, their end is destruction. That is one thing you need to remember about all of the wise men of this world—all of those who in their utter sophistication attack Christianity and Christians and the Bible and Christ and His cross—their end is destruction. What lies before them is naught but Hell. They are going away into everlasting perdition and pain.

I don’t hate the cross; I am eternally grateful for it. I trust you are too.

Lord, give me strength to always glory in the cross, as the attacks on You, Your Gospel, Your name, and Your cross continue to increase. Give us the strength to gladly bear reproach and shame for Your name’s sake…

BY HIS STRENGTH, WE CAN
LIFT HIGH THE CROSS.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…”

— Matthew 28:19

We are called to something altogether different than the things of this world. We are called to advance the kingdom of Jesus Christ. We are called to be those who never lose sight of the fact that we have been made for eternity and that human beings are either saved or lost. They are on their way to eternal paradise or eternal perdition and it is up to us to bring to them that message.

I think of a lay minister of our church who had a clear focus in his mind of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus and was more continually faithful to that calling than perhaps anyone I have ever known. Before he died of Lou Gehrig’s disease, he was going out three times a week on Evangelism Explosion, even though someone had to carry him up the stairs in order to go into a home.

He was a man who went to the prisons five or six times a week, spent hours there sharing the Gospel. Because of his deteriorating health, the prison officials would no longer let this lay minister in without help for fear he might get hurt. So he always found a volunteer to accompany him. One day, co-author Jerry Newcombe was that volunteer and thus had his first experience visiting a prison.

This lay minister never lost sight of his heavenly calling. We each have a heavenly calling in Jesus. If you struggle to know your calling, ask the Lord for wisdom and seek out godly counsel for direction.

Lord, give me strength for today to find my calling and to fulfill it with joy. Please use me in Your vineyard…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH, WE CAN
BE FAITHFUL TO THE END.