A Community of Grace »

New terms such as data smog, infobesity, and infoxication have surfaced to describe the massive amounts of information that bombard us on a daily basis. Never before could such vast amounts of information be distributed almost instantaneously to a global audience. In spite of all the benefits information affords, it also provides numerous opportunities for the father of all lies, Satan, to bombard us. Lies are the primary weapon Satan uses to reach his ultimate goal:

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10).

As a Christ-follower, we must sift everything we hear and every thought that enters our mind through God’s truth. In ancient days, a man named Job experienced devastating circumstances. Job’s faith eventually resulted in victory and blessing through his suffering. Yet in his protracted trials, he temporarily succumbed to lies about God, deepening his despair. His lie-based beliefs also affected those around him:

“Job uselessly opens his mouth and multiplies words without knowledge (drawing worthless conclusions that the righteous have no more advantage than the wicked)” (Job 35:16).

His conclusions were worthless because they were untrue, founded upon lies. Daily, we’re confronted with a plethora of worthless, lie-based mindsets and behaviors:

We’re enticed to believe our worth and happiness come from what we do, what we possess, or even who our friends are.

Similarly, there’s a pervasive mindset that our children’s happiness is of paramount importance, determined by their appearance, achievements or the acceptance of their peers.

We’re told it’s loving to advise people to seek happiness. Yet God calls us to seek holiness and joy.

According to Scripture, wisdom that doesn’t come from God:

“…is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil” (James 3:15).

It’s a sobering thought: without a diligent pursuit of truth, even people with good and godly intentions can act upon and speak lies. Such actions always reap consequences that steal, kill, and destroy the abundant life Jesus died to give us.

Will you ask God to reveal any lie-based beliefs that have crept into your thinking? When He does, repent. Then rejoice, embracing the freedom that comes from believing and walking in God’s truth:

“You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”

John 8:32

The Hubble Space telescope was launched into orbit by the space shuttle Discovery in 1990. Outside the distortion of earth’s atmosphere, this space-based technology is able to magnify objects in space with astounding clarity and greater accuracy than ground-based telescopes. The amazing images relayed back to earth have expanded our understanding of the vast universe and the wonder of its galaxies.

The Word of God is like the Hubble Space telescope for Christ-followers. God’s Word magnifies and reveals to us the infinitude and holiness of His Person. David invited us to do what we were created for in Psalm 34:3: “O magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together.” The psalmist is entreating us to reflect in our thoughts, speech and behaviors an accurate image of who God truly is. Our success as Christ-followers to display the greatness of God depends upon how accurately we see and know Jesus.

Like the astronauts who maintain and service the Hubble telescope, the Holy Spirit interprets and guides us into the truth of Christ’s words. His voice speaks life-giving words to us through the pages of Scripture. Holy Spirit power is activated in our lives as we yield our wills to Christ’s commandments.

Earth’s turbulent atmosphere distorts the clarity of distant galaxies when viewed through ground-based telescopes. In like manner, the turbulent temptations and trials of our lives seek to distort the true power and beauty of God which we were created to reflect. Although Job, a righteous man, believed God, he endured intense emotions of despair in the midst of terrible loss and suffering. But he chose to view his suffering through the lens of God’s clarifying telescope, His Word. Job was rewarded with a deeper, experiential vision of God and His sovereign goodness.

Will you trust God at all times, letting Him shine through you? The lights of stars and galaxies are brightly magnified through the Hubble telescope against the blackness of the universe. So it is with us. The beauty of Christ’s character is most brilliantly displayed as we magnify His name in the dark night of the soul.

“I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees Thee”

Job 42:5

 Celebrations and parades broke out all across America in the early months of 1973 as Operation Homecoming brought 591 prisoners of war (POWs) home. The soldiers had been held captive in North Vietnam, some for as long as eight years. The emotions of the freed captives were expressed beautifully by Major General Ed Mechenbier of the United States Air Force: “When we got airborne, and the frailty of being a POW turned into the reality of freedom, we yelled, cried and cheered.”

For a former POW, there’s a clear distinction between living as a prisoner and living as a free man. Many Christ-followers, however, struggle to understand and embrace the freedom they’ve been given. As children of God, we were part of the ultimate rescue mission. Once held captive by sin and under the control of Satan, Jesus rescued us through His death and resurrection. He paid the penalty of our sin. At the moment we trusted Him as our Savior, He set us free from the power of sin. This is the gospel, the good news, that the apostle Paul celebrated and was eager to proclaim:

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith” (Romans 1:16-17).

We should continually celebrate the salvation and freedom God has given us. By His power, we can overcome every struggle with sin:

“In freedom Christ has made us free — completely liberated us; stand fast then, and do not be hampered and held ensnared and submit again to a yoke of slavery”  (Galatians 5:1).

Will you embrace and proclaim the freedom you have in Christ? In the words of hymn writer John Newton and Christian artist Chris Tomlin:

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see. My chains are gone; I’ve been set free. My God, my Savior has ransomed me. And like a flood His mercy reigns. Unending love, amazing grace.”