Eric E. Wright's Blog, page 2

Dealing with the Roots of Bitterness, Anger, and Unforgiveness

A few years ago, I constructed a 10 by 4-foot raised plot in a shabby section of our lawn. Since the soil was sandy the task seemed laughably simple. Hah!

I began by digging out the soil and extracting the weeds so I could mix the old soil with rich topsoil and humus. I encountered roots much worse than those of quack grass. The roots went deep and spread everywhere. When I pulled, they broke off. I knew from previous experience that every piece would start a new plant. Removing the soil and straining out every root fragment took a week of spare time.

The author of Hebrews used roots as a metaphor for bitterness. “See that . . . no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”[1] Bitterness is a deep-seated, often unconscious, attitude that sends up harmful shoots at unpredictable intervals.

While reading a magazine the other day a flash of resentment surfaced about something that happened 25 years ago. Why would such an irrational thought pop up so unpredictably? Hadn’t I dealt with that decades ago? The roots must be deeper than I thought.

Experiences like that underscore the importance of dealing quickly and decisively with relational conflict. The author of Hebrews introduces his warning about bitterness by urging; “Make every effort to live at peace with all men.”[2] Failure to live peaceably, lovingly, joyfully with one’s neighbour or family leads to strained relationships which sow the seeds of future bitterness.

Bitterness is ubiquitous: victims of crime, labourers treated poorly by contractors, homebound wives unappreciated by their husbands, indigenous tribes neglected by governments, children of absentee parents, cancer sufferers. Some parents even feel bitter about a child whose birth curtailed their freedoms.

Bitterness can choke friendships, ruin family relationships and strangle churches. Its roots will poison our hearts and defile our lives. Many psychological studies have shown that harbouring bitterness is like swallowing a slow-acting and deadly poison.

James dramatically explains its origin. “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight.”[3]

Let me clarify. We all have desires. Some are normal but others arise from wrong motives—desires that balloon into lusts. Anger arises when something or someone blocks us from getting what we want. Anger often spawns a quarrel which may spiral out of control into a shouting match, a physical fight, or—in extreme cases—murder. If we hold anger inside and never deal with it, it becomes internalized producing resentment. Over time resentment develops into bitterness.

Notice the connection between bitterness, anger, conflict and slander in the following verse. “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”[4] The Scriptures often connect these attitudes and actions. (See Rom. 1:26; 2 Cor. 12:20; Gal. 5:20,21)

The best way to avoid bitterness is to stop it from taking root. How? By rejecting feelings of resentment toward others the moment they arise. At the onset of such a feeling, we need to confess it to God and ask him to replace it with love. If we expressed our resentment openly in words or actions, we should ask forgiveness of the person who was our target. On the other hand, if we became the target of another’s anger we still have a responsibility to seek reconciliation and express forgiveness.

Genuine Christians are commanded to forgive others as Christ forgave us. “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Christ calls us to forgive those who make us angry, block our desires or hurt us in some way.

But what do we do if bitterness has sunk roots deep into our psyche? Like the weeds in my garden, deep-rooted resentments are hard to eradicate. They require the radical help that only the Holy Spirit can give.

Every time a bitter thought surfaces—perhaps the memory of a betrayal or slander or injustice—we need to confess it to God as sin, and plead for his help in rooting out its source. We may have already dealt with the issue, forgiven the person involved and considered the matter settled. Unfortunately, since we are human, memories often continue to surface.

Corrie Ten Boom suffered under the Nazis during the Second World War. She struggled to forget a wrong. She had forgiven the person, but kept rehashing the incident at night. After two sleepless weeks she cried out to God for help. Help came in the form of a kindly Lutheran pastor. When she related her problem to him, he pointed to a bell tower. He explained that after the sexton let go of the bell rope, the bell would keep on swinging—DING, DONG, DINg, Dong, d-i-n-g. The notes would get slower and slower and quieter and quieter until finally with a last ding the sound stopped.

He said, “I believe it is the same with forgiveness—when we forgive we let go the rope, but if we’ve been tugging at our grievances for a long time, we mustn’t be surprised if the old angry thoughts keep coming for a while. They’re just the ding dongs of the old bell slowing down.”[5]

And so it proved to be with Corrie. She felt a few more midnight reverberations, a couple of dings when the subject came up in conversations. But the force of the anger dissipated as Corrie’s willingness to hang on to the matter disappeared. The memories finally faded. The root of bitterness had been eradicated.

By an act of the will, we must choose to let go of the bell-rope by turning from bitter thoughts the moment they arise. Sweet forgetfulness will gradually overpower the bitter memories and suffuse our lives with tenderness towards others.

Sins require forgiveness. Imagined faults are another matter. In my experience the bulk of bitter thoughts can be traced to misunderstandings about the motives of others, imagined slights, unintentional mistakes, accidents, human foibles, differences of opinion or dissimilarity of temperament. If our interpretation of another’s actions is the source of our bitterness, we have a problem that needs to be dealt with privately at the throne of grace, not by going to the person involved. In these cases, we must learn to exercise forbearance.

Bitterness poisons too many lives. Let’s open our hearts to the probing work of the Holy Spirit that he may root out any fragments of resentment that lie buried within. (This devotional barely touches this vast and very important subject. For a fuller treatment I’d refer you to my book, The Guide to Revolutionary Forgiveness.[6])

Lord Jesus, you were tempted in all points just like us. I know you had to deal with anger. Help me to follow your lead and become a forgiving person, and—as much as is possible—to live at peace with all men. Enable me to deal lovingly with people who knowingly or unknowingly hurt me. Keep resentments from festering. Root out every form of bitterness. Lord, please suppress all those imaginary slights that I tend to nurture. And yes, I have to admit that I sin against others. Give me the courage to go to those I hurt to ask for the forgiveness. Lord I know how wonderful it is to be at peace with you and all your children, so please help me to eradicate anger before the sun goes down every day.

[Watch for a reprint of Down A Country Road, a devotional book that takes us through the four seasons.]

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. If you appreciate this blog, please pass it on. If I can help you spiritually, let me know. Further articles, books, and stories at:  Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ; Eric’s books are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Eric-E.-Wright/e/B00355HPKK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share)

[1] Heb. 12:15

[2] Heb. 12:14

[3] James 4:1,2

[4] Eph. 4:31

[5] R. David Roberts, Forgiveness, Wheaton, Leadership, 1987, p. 48 (Roberts quotes from an article in Guideposts.)

[6] Eric E. Wright, The Guide – Revolutionary Forgiveness, Darlington: Evangelical Press, 2002

Lessons From Waves

Occasionally, I entertain a tiny regret that we don’t own a house by the water. I breathe a prayer; “Lord I don’t think this is covetousness—is it? Just a longing. It wouldn’t really matter whether it was on a lake or at the ocean, or even on a hill with a sweeping view of a watery horizon. Okay, I know I’m being unreasonable.”

Prices show that everyone else seems to have the same dream. Fortunately, we live within a few miles of the shore of Lake Ontario, a lake so large as to be almost an inland sea. We c an put together a picnic and drive down to a local park where we claim a picnic table and then—well—just relax. Depending on the weather, we may sit and watch the waves gently lap the shore or froth and foam in a disciplined uproar of sound and fury. Sometimes we meander along the beach picking up the odd shell, pebble, bit of polished glass or grotesque piece of driftwood. Often, we watch gulls and terns dive and wheel. But usually, we’ll just let the rhythm of the waves wash over us in soothing ripples of sound.

An informal survey I’ve conducted over the years seems to indicate that expanses of water captivate all kinds of people. At every beach I’ve ever visited people sit or stand facing the water. I’ve never yet seen anyone with his back to the ocean—except momentarily. Even sunbathers lie where they can peek at the water from time to time. Water that stretches toward the horizon exerts a mysterious power.

Water’s fascination is not only explained by the opportunity it affords to swim or boat or fish or snorkel. No, it speaks to us of something more elemental and seemingly infinite. Great expanses of water, particularly the ocean, speak to me of God. “The sea is his, for he made it.”[1] They illustrate the unfathomable greatness of God who alone “treads on the waves of the sea.”[2]

The immensity of the ocean can make us feel like an ant climbing Mount Everest. It stretches from horizon to horizon. It circles the earth. It plunges into depths unexplored by mankind. “Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.”[3]

We clear the forests and plough the fields and carve out roads, but no one can either tame the sea or domesticate the Almighty. The Lord reminded Job of this reality. “Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt’?”[4]

God alone can tame the unruly waves of the sea. “O Lord God Almighty, who is like you? . . . You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them.”[5] The Lord of the sea is Lord of all, the sovereign ruler of the universe whose authority and power towers above our petty rivalries and political maneuverings. He, and no other, can solve our national dilemmas, dispel our personal despair and soothe our troubled hearts.

The waves of the sea murmur incessantly about the irresistible power of God. “The seas have lifted up, O Lord, the seas have lifted up their voice.”[6] No diver beneath the surface of the sea can ignore its laws. No seacoast can ignore the sea’s anger. No swimmer can thumb its nose at its dangers. No ship may sail its expanse without submission to its rules. Infinitely greater than the force of the sea is the might of God. “Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea—the Lord on high is mighty.”

The sea speaks of mystery, not only from its unreachable depths but also along every shore. There are shells to discover: what creature inhabited this spiral palace? Driftwood to examine: how many waves did it take to transform this into an octopus? A myriad of coloured pebbles to inspect: how many centuries did it take to round their fractured edges? Perhaps a nugget or two of coloured glass—amber or jade or diamond: what could be their provenance? A bit sculpted wood. What schooner lost a spar? Like the mysterious sea, “How unsearcheable [are] his (God’s) judgements, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?”[7] 

We can let the soothing sound of waves lapping on the shore do their work. Sometimes we pick up a book. Sometimes—I hope more and more often—we let the waves remind us of the greatness of our Lord. Infinite in power. Mysterious and unsearchable in glory. Sovereign in authority. “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! . . . For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.”[8]

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit I bow before you. When troubles overwhelm me, the future seems bleak or events spiral out of control remind me of waves on the sea. Father, fill me with awe as I contemplate again your infinite power and sovereign authority. Lord Jesus, you who stilled the sea and walked on water, calm my anxious fears and help me to walk with you, hand-in-hand. Wind of the Spirit blow through my life in refreshing power.

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. If you appreciate this blog, please pass it on. If I can help you spiritually, let me know. Further articles, books, and stories at:  Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ; Eric’s books are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Eric-E.-Wright/e/B00355HPKK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share)

[1] Psalm 95:5

[2] Job 9:8

[3] Psalm 145:3

[4] Job 38:8-11

[5] Psalm 89:8,9

[6] Psalm 93:3

[7] Rom. 11:33,34

[8] Rom. 11:33,36

Lessons from the Wind

When I’m planning a walk, I check the thermometer, then scan the trees outside for some indication of the strength of the wind. If it’s a hot day, a breeze will make it tolerable. But during a cold snap a stiff wind will make the wind chill unbearable.

Most of us take the wind for granted. Even though meteorologists include wind speed in their forecasts it doesn’t make much impact, unless they warn of damaging winds. Usually, we’re more interested in whether the day will be sunny or overcast, rainy or foggy, warm or cold. And yet it’s the wind that evaporates the water to become rain and snow. The wind brings clouds that block out the sun and it’s the wind that drives the clouds away. Without wind fog shuts down airports and snarls traffic.

The way we often take the Holy Spirit for granted resembles how we overlook the importance of the wind. Without the work of the Spirit, however, we cannot become Christians. One night a Pharisee named, Nicodemus, came to Jesus by night to escape the notice of his fellow religionists. When Jesus informed him of his need to be born again by the Spirit, he was astonished. “How can a man be born when he is old?”[1] he asked. Jesus replied, “Flesh gives birth to flesh [the first birth], but the Spirit gives birth to spirit [spiritual rebirth]. . . . You must be born again. The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”[2]

The work of the Spirit is as mysterious and invisible as the wind. The only way I can tell if the wind is blowing is by looking out my window to see if tree branches are moving. And we can only tell that the Spirit has been at work by looking around for evidences of his influence. Have unbelievers come to faith? Then Holy Spirit has been at work. Jesus asserted to Nicodemus. “Whoever believes in him [Christ] shall not perish but have eternal life.”[3]

Have people who were previously careless about sin been convicted of their need of salvation? Then the Spirit has been blowing through their hearts. “When he [the Spirit] comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgement.”[4]

Have people who were agnostics, atheists or just indifferent begun to declare that God is their Father? Then the Spirit has been moving. “By him [the Spirit] we cry, ‘Abba’ Father.”[5]

Have those who were ignorant of the Bible, or even antagonistic to the Scriptures, begun to love and understand God’s Word? Then we can be sure that the great interpreter of Scripture has been giving them insight. “When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.”[6]

Do you see changes for good in those who once were blasphemous and immoral and dishonest and selfish? Then we know that the Holy Spirit has begun to produce the good fruit of righteousness in them. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”[7]

Have insecure, anxious and doubtful people become confident of God’s love and their own salvation? Ah, then, the Spirit of adoption has been whispering in their hearts. “You did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. . . . The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”[8]

Life on earth without the presence of the wind is unthinkable: spiritual life without the influence of the Holy Spirit is unimaginable. “When the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour.”

Blessed Holy Spirit I’m so very thankful for your influences on my life. Convicting me of rebellion and sin. Moving me to faith in Jesus Christ. Delivering me from bondage to evil habits and wooing me back into the forgiving arms of Jesus when I fall. Opening the Scripture to my understanding and delight. Assuring me that I am a child of the Father. Leading me into fellowship with other believers. Producing in me qualities that are contrary to my fallen nature. Like every other believer, gifting me for some kingdom ministry. Giving me hope when I despair and strength when I’m tempted.

Spirit of the Living God how manifold is your benevolence! Forgive me when I take you for granted. Remind me every day of your quiet presence. Accept my worship and thanksgiving.   

(Read Rom. 8:1-17)

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. If you appreciate this blog, please pass it on. If I can help you spiritually, let me know. Further articles, books, and stories at:  Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ; Eric’s books are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Eric-E.-Wright/e/B00355HPKK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share)

[1] John 3:4

[2] John 3:6,8

[3] John 3:16

[4] John 16:8

[5] Rom. 8:15

[6] John 16:13

[7] Gal. 5:22,23

[8] Rom. 8:15,16

Honey in a Blasted Pine

Century-old white pines guarded the country lane where we used to walk. I loved the profile of these forest giants. Unfortunately, their height courted lightning. A wild summer storms severely blasted two of them. One stood stark and dead against the sky, the other was reduced to a fifty-foot stub, broken off half-way down its trunk.

The hum of swarming bees drew my attention to a huge knot-hole. A steady stream of honey bees flew in and out storing spring’s nectar. The lightning that shattered the forest giant had prepared a repository for honey, one of nature’s greatest boons.

How can good come from bad, growth from disease, life from death? How can tragedy prepare for triumph? High on the list of those perennial mysteries we ponder is this one—the mystery of suffering.

God assures believers good will triumph in their lives. “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”[1] Sometimes the way we use this verse seems more like a mantra than an article of practical faith.

Consider Job, a scary proposition! Could the kinds of tragedies happen in my life? Yet, the story has a wonderful finale. At the end of his trials Job testified, “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore, I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”[2] Subsequently, Job was “comforted and consoled . . . and the Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first.”[3]

Job’s experience has been duplicated throughout history. From prison Paul wrote to the Philippians, “What has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.”[4] Because of his imprisonment, “most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.”[5]

Second Corinthians describes how Paul learned of God’s power in the crucible of suffering. “We have this treasure [the glory of God in the face of Christ] in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We’re hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.”[6]

These biblical precedents sometimes seem alien to our context. To understand how tribulation can metaphorically produce honey, we need to see God at work in our own era. Fortunately, when I listen to a seasoned saint reflect on trials, the comments I hear are usually positive. They tell of lessons learned, how they have grown, and their closer relationship to God.

After Joni Eareckson broke her neck in a diving accident, she founded Joni and Friends. This ministry has brought help to multitudes around the world through their daily radio programs and by supplying 25,000 wheelchairs to developing countries. She writes, “I am convinced that the whole ordeal of my paralysis was inspired by God’s love. I wasn’t the brunt of some cruel divine joke. God had reasons behind my suffering, and learning some of them has made all the difference in the world.”[7]

How God distills good from evil is still puzzling—until God brings trials into our own lives. We are such slow learners, a fact compounded by the media’s message that pleasure and good health and abundant provision are our inalienable right. Spiritual realities seem so ethereal.

Admittedly, I’m a particularly slow learner. It took multiplied trials as a missionary in Pakistan to convince me of the reality of Jesus’ promise, “Lo, I am with you always.”[8] It took decades of financial crises for me to learn, “My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”[9] Through years of teaching and preaching—which I never found easy—I kept relearning that “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”[10]

I still needed to learn empathy for those in physical distress. I always walked fast, loved to hike and hated hospitals! Then came shortness of breath and restricted activity. After a series to tests, the diagnosis of severe heart blockage with no surgical options came as a blow.

Why Lord? You need to learn that I am, “The God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”[11] I’m slowly learning to have more compassion—and that’s good. And I have much more appreciation for health care professionals—that’s good too, like honey in that lightning-blasted pine.

Lord help me to be more compassionate and comforting to others who face severe trials. Help me to value your care and comfort, more than any creature comfort. If it is your will, help me to learn more of faith and hope and love and patience and joy and peace without having to go through trials to see their value. If it is your will, help me to maintain a measure of health and strength that I might serve you all my days. 

[1] Rom. 8:28

[2] Job. 42:5,6

[3] Job 42:11,12

[4] Phil. 1:12,13

[5] Phil 1:14

[6] 2 Cor. 4:7-10

[7] .Quoted in Where is God When Things Go Wrong?, John Blanchard, p. 37

[8] Matt. 28:20

[9] Phil. 4:19

[10] Phil. 4:13

[11] 2 Cor. 1:3,4

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. If you appreciate this blog, please pass it on. If I can help you spiritually, let me know. Further articles, books, and stories at:  Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ; Eric’s books are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Eric-E.-Wright/e/B00355HPKK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share)

Lessons from a Stinging Spring Day

A few years ago, I was merrily doing my spring thing—weeding and cultivating the flower beds—when suddenly, my left hand began to tingle and burn. Looking down, I realized I had grubbed a stinging nettle out of the soil with my bare hand. I tend to weed at full speed, rooting out weeds with my left hand while I cultivate with the trowel in my right hand. I’ve tried working with gloves but I can’t get the feel of the soil or enough of a grip on weeds. Clearly, my approach misses in care what it makes up for in speed.

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For the rest of the day I paid for my carelessness with a burning sensation that nothing would alleviate. When the fingers on my left hand stopped burning, the hand felt numb.

My nettle experience was a painful reminder that we live in a fallen world. As a consequence of Adam’s sin God declared, “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it . . . It will produce thorns and thistles for you.”[1]  To keep the garden free of weeds and nettles I must labour long and hard. My lawn has too little grass and too many weeds. My garden has too much grass. Go figure.

Dirty, cracked fingernails. Sweat. Aching muscles. The path to a beautiful flower garden and flourishing vegetables is an uphill struggle. So much of the natural world reflects the beauty of its Creator, but experience warns me about the poison ivy waiting to blister my skin and the mosquitoes thirsty for my blood.

Sin entered the Garden of Eden, and every garden since has borne in its soil the seeds of its own destruction. Whenever a gardener eases up, weeds and bugs threaten to take over.

What is true in the natural world is certainly true among the children of Adam. God warned Cain, “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”[2] Cain let down his guard. Sin slew his constraint and he slew Abel, his brother.

From that time to this we have dysfunctional families, dishonest merchants, corrupt politicians and scheming dictators—plus so much more. Ravenous lions and poisonous snakes. Rabid dogs and ferocious microbes. Murder. Robbery. Abuse. Deceit. Pride. Envy. Slavery. Prostitution. Pornography. Cancer. AIDS. Heart Disease. Sickness. Despair. Death.

And the bad is not all out there in the larger world among other people, or in our garden, it’s in our own hearts. We’re fallen, sinful creatures. Unconsciously, we often choose the selfish, the proud, the hurtful way. If the great apostle Paul can cry, “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature,” and “I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me,”[3] then who are we to deny who we are? “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”[4]

The most foolish—and the most dangerous—thing we can do is to deny the reality of evil. The first principle King Jesus taught his disciples concerned the blessedness of those who are poor in spirit; that is, those who are humble and honest about their spiritual poverty. Pride blinds. Humility illumines the soul both to its own baser instincts and the glories of God.[5] The second principle of the King concerns the blessedness of those who maintain an attitude of revulsion towards sin—they mourn.[6] They are comforted by receiving God’s forgiveness but they never take this for granted. They don’t call a truce with unrighteousness. It is always their enemy.

Obviously, this world is not paradise, nor is it our ultimate home. Its most beautiful gardens are not the Garden by the River. There will be a new heaven and a new earth in which dwells righteousness—and flowers and fruitful trees. There will be no pain or tears there, no death. I doubt if there will be stinging nettles or poison ivy in that garden either.

Meanwhile we must keep down the weeds if we are to harvest a crop. We must attack the noxious weeds of selfishness and arrogance with the spade of confession and the fire of repentance. We must look to heaven in prayer for the refreshing rain of the Spirit to produce in us the fruits of righteousness. We must long for the Sun of Righteousness to cast his light upon us that we may grow.

Father, help me to live under the shadow of the cross, for I am a sinner. Show me my sins—but not all at once lest I be overwhelmed. Forgive me but don’t let me take the cleansing blood of Christ for granted. May I be truly sorrowful but not so overcome that I sink in despair. Gracious Lord, help me to live every day in dependence upon your transforming power. When I see evil in the world around me, or in my own heart, or in the lives of family or friends help me to remember the victory that Christ won. Give me patience to wait for your ultimate triumph over all evil. As I am forgiven, help me to be forgiving. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(Adapted from Eric Wright’s book, Ðown A Country Road – fifty-two seasonal readings from out where the sky springs free. Currently out of print.)

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. If you appreciate this blog, please pass it on. If I can help you spiritually, let me know. Further articles, books, and stories at:  Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ; Eric’s books are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Eric-E.-Wright/e/B00355HPKK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share)

[1] Gen. 3:17,18

[2] Gen. 4:7

[3] Rom. 7:18 ; Psalm 51:3

[4] Rom. 3:23

[5] The first beatitude, Matt. 5:3

[6] The second beatitude, Matt. 5:4

The Miracle of a Leaf

All along the valley and over the hills, the flush of spring green has transformed the drab grey and worn-out brown garments of winter. The unfolding of a million-billion leaves wrought the change. And each leaf was a miracle.

Mark Buchanan wrote: “A leaf. Behold a single leaf. . . . Hold it open in your palm. It is perfect as a newborn’s smile. Pinch its stem between thumb and forefinger and hold it to the light. Eden bleeds through. Its veins are like bone work in silhouette. This single leaf, joined to the tree, drinks poison from the air, drinks it serenely as Socrates downing his cup of hemlock, and refuses to return in kind, instead spilling out life-giving oxygen. This leaf tilts to catch the sun, its warmth and radiance, to distill the heat and light down to the shadow, down to the roots, back up to limbs. To shade the earth. To feed you and me.”[1]

A lesson from a leaf! Instead of spewing out carbon monoxide, or deadly sulphur vapour or some other noxious compound, leaves turn toxins into oxygen and food. If only we could learn to do the same.

Jesus taught us, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you . . . be merciful just as your Father is merciful”[2]. As the Father allows his sun to shine on the just and the unjust, his rain to fall on all, his good gifts to be showered indiscriminately, so we are to transform hatred and cursing and mistreatment into deeds of love and blessing. Instead of seeking justice, plotting revenge, drawing away from those who mistreat us, we are to return to our tormentors that which they could never imagine.

As if those few verses are not enough, Jesus goes on to hammer home this revolutionary principle. “If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him taking your tunic. . . if someone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back”[3].

Lord that’s tough. How can I wave good morning to the neighbour if he has ruined my lawnmower? How can I forgive the thoughtless person? How can I be loving when I’m so carelessly misunderstood? Won’t I perpetuate an injustice? Aren’t I setting myself up for more abuse? Won’t I project the image of being a pushover? Lord, it’s so unnatural.

I guess that’s the point. The Kingdom of God is not about acting like everyone else. Jesus taught, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that?”[4].

Jesus had in mind overturning the natural order, instituting a revolutionary response to others by returning good for evil And yet I seem socialized to limit my responses to others to returning good for good. To invite someone for dinner who has previously invited us. To send a card to those who sent cards to us in a similar situation. To say good morning to those who reciprocate. To help those who are grateful. But Christ calls me to move it up a notch, to send cards to those who will never reciprocate, casseroles to those who have been miserable neighbours and phone calls to those who never phone us. (Incidentally, when I mention neighbours I’m talking generally. We’ve had wonderful neighbours.)

Responding to people as Jesus directs requires a supernatural re-ordering of our lives. No wonder we need the minute-by-minute empowering of the Holy Spirit.

Imagine if every Christian, like every leaf, returned good for evil. Drivers refused to blow their horns in frustration at those who cut in front of them. Neighbours kept on loaning their tools even when they came back damaged. Christians kept on praying for columnists who deny Christ. Parents continued to love rebellious children. Grown-up children forgave workaholic parents for neglect. What a difference we would make! The light of Christ’s love would shine brighter and farther.

Lord, help me to embrace the principles of your kingdom by responding as you did to those who spitefully used you. Enable me to overcome the anger and annoyance that arises from rudeness or ill treatment or being ignored. Inspire me to go about doing good, speaking words of encouragement and smiling. May I be one who loves to do random acts of kindness.  (Read Luke 6:27-36)

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. If you appreciate this blog, please pass it on. If I can help you spiritually, let me know. Further articles, books, and stories at:  Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ; Eric’s books are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Eric-E.-Wright/e/B00355HPKK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share)

[1] Mark Buchanan, The Holy Wild, Sisters, Oregon: Multnomah, 2003, p. 53

[2] Luke 6:27,28,36

[3] Luke 6:29,30

[4] Luke 6:32,33

Do you think we have enough stuff?

Do you think we have enough–stuff? How’s our consumer culture doing for us?

Home Depot stocks approximately 35,000 items.

McDonald’s menu offers 145 items.

I’m told that the Cheesecake Factory has 250 dishes made fresh every day.

Barry Schwartz found that a medium sized supermarket has 85 brands of crackers, 150 lipsticks, 230 soup options, 275 cereal options, 285 varieties of cookies, and a whopping 360 types of shampoo, conditioner, hair gel, and mousse.

How about trying something really satisfying??!! “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” (Psalm 34:8) Ah, yes, meditating on all the scrumptious, character of God. Now, that could satisfy the hungry soul. The longing soul. The lonely soul. The sated soul. The lost soul. The despairing soul. ….Longsuffering. Forgiving. Loving. Patient. Righteous. True. Just. Unchanging. Very present, very near. Sacrificial. Saving. Comforting. Providing. Father. Jesus. Holy Spirit. ….and on, and on the delightful meditation leads us ever deeper into the true joy of the soul set free.

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. If you appreciate this blog, please pass it on. If I can help you spiritually, let me know. Further articles, books, and stories at:  Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ; Eric’s books are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Eric-E.-Wright/e/B00355HPKK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share)

Angels and Demons – Chapter from a forthcoming book, Doctrines for Dummies

(A series of concise studies on the essential doctrines of the Christian faith written for the person in the pew.)

People love to talk about angels. Angels are everywhere in popular songs, musical plays, and novels. Statues of angels show up in people’s gardens. Tiny angelic figurines appear on jewelry and clothing. Among survivors of the 9-11 attack on New York city, rescuing angels are mentioned. “A 2011 AP poll showed nearly eight in 10 Americans believe in angels.”[1]

 While there are abundant references to angels in the Bible, their mention is incidental to other happenings. They are mentioned approximately 103 times in the Old Testament and 93 times in the New but in no passage is there a comprehensive description. The same is true of Satan and fallen angels. Scripture contains what we need for life and godliness without satisfying our curiosity. Our focus is meant to be on God and what glorifies him.  

Because angels were created at some indeterminate time before humans (Job 38:7, Neh. 9:6, Col. 1:16), this chapter could have been inserted while discussing creation and fall. However, since one of the main functions of holy angels is to serve the heirs of salvation (Heb. 1:14; Ps. 34:7; Ps. 91:11) and the main function of the fallen angels is to oppose the works of God, it seemed appropriate to discuss this subject after sanctification.

Drawing inferences from Scripture we discover that the angelic abode is heaven (Matt. 28:2), they are immaterial and invisible (Col. 1:16, Num. 22:31), they are not subject to the limitations of mankind, they do not die nor marry (Luke 20:36), they have greater wisdom and power than humans (Dan. 10:13; Acts 5:19, Matt. 28:2) but are not omnipotent nor omniscient. Angels were created holy. They often appear in a human-like form. Although in prophecy some display wings, more normally they appear without.  

A great host of angels in heaven worship God and do his bidding (1 Kings 22:19, Ps 103:20, Ps 148:2,5). Only two are named; Gabriel who seems to be an interpreter of divine truth (Dan. 8:16) and Michael (Dan. 10:13, Jude 9) who is called the “archangel” or “one of the chief princes.” Their positions of responsibility give some indication that the angelic host is organized and led by a hierarchy. This is also shown by describing them as “the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms” (Eph 3;10). Ninety-two times cherubim are mentioned. (Gen 3:24, Ex 25:18) Two guarded the gates of Eden lest Adam and Eve re-enter and eat the tree of life. In most cases these winged beings are symbolic, carved, or prophetic depictions. (For example, the two over the ark of the covenant or the depiction of the winged and wheeled living creatures in Ez. 10.) Seraphim, burning ones, are mentioned only in Isaiah (Is. 6:2,6).

Angels have various roles as guardians of Eden, the ark, and God’s people and as worshippers of God, as messengers of the Lord, and as servants and guides to God’s people as we see in Acts 8:26 and 1 Kings 19:5,6. They ministered to Christ repeatedly during his incarnation. They announced his coming to Mary and Joseph, were present at his birth, warned the family to travel to Egypt, ministered during his temptation in the wilderness, at his trial in the garden, and at the empty tomb. Although usually invisible, Scripture makes it clear that they are present wherever God’s plan is unfolding.

At some unknown period before Adam and Eve’s fall in the Garden, a rebellion took place in heaven led by Satan. Luke writes in Luke 10:18 “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” Elders are warned not to be, “conceited and fall under the same judgement as the devil” (1 Tim. 3:6). Many commentators view a passage in Ezekiel as descriptive of the devil. “You were anointed as a guardian cherub.… You were blameless …till wickedness was found in you…I expelled you, O guardian cherub…your heart became proud on account of your beauty” (Ez. 28:11-19). Those angels who fell with Satan are called demons or evil spirits. (Revelation twelve, seven through nine distinguishes Michael and his angels from the dragon, “the ancient serpent called the devil or Satan” and his angels.)

Since the Scriptural unfolding of the nature of the devil and demons is sketchy, we must avoid building elaborate and imaginative descriptions. Ever since his fall, the devil has been opposing all God’s purposes; he “leads the whole world astray” (Rev. 12:9).  As a fallen angel, his power is limited. He is not omnipresent nor omniscient. Because of these limitations, he depends on deceit to entrap humans and oppose God. Paul urges us understand the nature of his schemes so that we do not let Satan outwit us. (2 Cor. 2:11.)

The extent of his operations against God are so vast that they extend throughout the world. “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” (1 John 5:19, NASV). After describing God’s sovereignty, Paul writes that from birth we followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient” (Eph. 2:2). The main way the devil exerts this power is through influencing us to yield to “the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16, KJV). That is, through coveting what we see with our eyes, through lusting for what our flesh wants (food, sex, rest, etc.), and through temptations to pride—the desire to exalt self, be arrogant, become the focus. This pattern is demonstrated throughout history. Eve, in the Garden of Eden, saw that the fruit forbidden by God was “good for food (the lust of the flesh) and pleasing to the eye, (the lust of the eye) and also desirable for gaining wisdom (the pride of life—to become wise like God)” (Gen.3:6,7). 

Satan tempted Jesus in the same three ways. To turn the stones to bread, to desire all the kingdoms of the world without going to the cross, and to show his greatness by throwing himself down from the pinnacle of the temple. (See Matt. 4:1-11.) We need to ask the Lord to carefully guard these three doors of entry lest we fall pray to the devil’s temptations.  

Satan has been so successful in deceiving humans that “the whole world lieth under the power of the evil one.” The world is in darkness, full of idolatry and lies. We see evidence of this on every hand. Recently I read of a woman who wrote glowingly of the beauty of nature, God’s creation, while declaring proudly, “there is no God.”

As a Christian it is vital that we not be ignorant of hSatan’s schemes. He tries to confuse us and sift us, (Luke 22:31). He snatches the Word from our minds. (Matt. 13:19). He blinds our minds with lies. (2 Cor. 4:4) He tricks people by coming to them disguised as an angel of light. (2Cor. 11:14) In extreme cases he can so infiltrate the minds of humans that they allow demons to enter and possess them. (Luke 13:16)

Fortunately, “Greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world”……cross.

Admittedly, Satanic activity is stronger in some places in the world where we find idolatry and false religion pervasive. The challenge of Christians is our day is not to develop names for elaborate hierarchies of demons, identify so-called territorial spirits, nor conquer strongholds but to stand against and resist the devil and his schemes by declaring our faith in the blood of Christ. “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you., Come near to God and he will come near to you” (James 4:7,8).  We are to put on the armour of God that we might resist the devil’s schemes.” (See Eph. 6:10-20). “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” (Rev. 12:11, ESV). “You, dear children are from God, and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). 

The doom of Satan and his hosts is sure. Christ declared that they will be cast “into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41).

Reflections:

List several key appearances of angels in ScriptureHow would you describe angels?What do we know about the origin of Satan and demons?What are the three kinds of temptation Satan uses to influence us to sin?What should we do to resist the devil?

Prayer: Blessed triune God, although we don’t know much about the operation of angels, we give thanks for their service in worshipping you, promoting your kingdom, and protecting us. We celebrate the cosmic victory of Jesus upon the cross. Help us to learn to recognize the devil’s schemes and resist his temptations through our faith in the blood of Christ and our testimony as redeemed sinners. Hallelujah for the victory of Christ!

(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. If you appreciate this blog, please pass it on. If I can help you spiritually, let me know. Further articles, books, and stories at:  Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ; Eric’s books are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Eric-E.-Wright/e/B00355HPKK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share)

[1] See https://www.alvernia.edu/news/2015/12/angels-around-us

Why were the Reformers so excited about Justification?

Chapter Forty-one in Doctrine for Dummies, a proposed book of readings on essential Christian doctrines

Justification is one of the most astounding gifts of God, a gift that throughout the life of the believer keeps on giving. It ministers comfort. It is the source of bedrock assurance. Waking up in the dark of night, or struggling to find comfort after a failure, thoughts of justification have brought solace to me innumerable times. Justification? Yes, meditation on the gift of perfect forgiveness Christ purchased for me upon his cross. It is a gift that has nothing to do with any work that I can or will do. It is a gift of grace given by God at the time of the new birth, the moment of our conversion. Listen to the apostle.

“But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known…this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe…for all have sinned…and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus…a sacrifice of atonement…Where then is boasting? It is excluded” (Romans 3:21-27). We receive a righteousness that we don’t have and can never earn. Instead, the costly righteousness earned by Christ on the cross is credited to our account in heaven. God robes us in the perfect righteousness of Christ. In spite of our sins, he declares us righteous.

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand” (Romans 5:8,9). We have peace with God because we stand in grace. By faith we pass from the blighted wasteland of Condemnation into the blessed land of Grace. “It is the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered” (Romans 4:6,7). Listen. Harken. Through Christ our sins are covered; never to be uncovered!

Astounding as it may sound, we will never be more righteous than the day we were forgiven, because that righteousness in which we stand is a gift from Christ. Oh, we will grow in Christ. We will become more practically holy, but we cannot become more legally righteous. And that means we have assurance of our salvation throughout our lives. We cannot be more saved than we are the day we are converted.

“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). It is being in Christ that brings peace. This sense of grace becomes the foundation of Christian living, the source of our comfort, and the haven to which we can flee when accused by the devil.

In describing how he came to faith, though tormented by sin and Satan, John Bunyan was meditating on the fearful verses about committing the unpardonable sin for which there was no forgiveness. He wrote:

“One day, as I was walking in the field, my conscience still somewhat wounded and still fearing that all was not well, these words suddenly entered my soul: ‘your righteousness is in heaven.’ And I thought, moreover, that I saw, with the eyes of my soul, Jesus Christ at God’s right hand. I say, my righteousness was there [in heaven]; so that wherever I was, or whatever I was doing, God could not say of me, ‘He is in need of my righteousness,’ as my righteousness was right in front of him. I also saw, moreover, that it was not my good state of heart that made my righteousness better, nor even my bad state that made my righteousness worse, since my righteousness was Jesus Christ himself, the same yesterday, today, and forever’ (Heb. 13:8).”[1]

And yet, Casper Olevianus, one of the authors of the Heidelberg Catechism, wrote “there is nothing more difficult than to believe the forgiveness of sins.”[2] But if we do not believe we are truly forgiven, we will not believe that we have peace with God. Dr. R. C. Sproul put it well: “It is often a difficult thing to accept the grace of God. Our human arrogance makes us want to atone for our own sins or make it up to God with works of super-righteousness. But the fact of the matter is that we can’t make it up to God. We are debtors who cannot pay. That’s what justification by faith is all about.”[3]

Our natural bent to self-righteousness, makes it hard for us to celebrate justification and put on the breastplate of Christ’s righteousness. (See Ephesians 6: 14.) It’s hard for us to believe the promise of instant forgiveness. “If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins” (1 John 1:9). Faithful and just to forgive so we can immediately enjoy our forgiveness. This forgiveness doesn’t rest on some act of penance on our part but on the righteousness of Christ.

Our enjoyment of grace, is not dependent upon how much I have prayed. It’s not how much I have read the Bible. It’s not how many of God’s commandments I have obeyed. All those things are good, and elements of what we will later consider as part of Christian living. The comfort justification brings provides the energy and motivation to do these things. We are not comforted by our works but by the work of Christ.

So let us stop trying to pay for our sins and accept the forgiveness Jesus offers. Having accepted his forgiveness let us walk by grace and live for grace that he might get the glory. Then we will not be perpetually basing our joy on what we have done. By justifying us he has given us his royal robe to cover our nakedness.

Let me change the metaphor. Remember how wonderful it was to snuggle in a warm comforter on a cold day? Remember how cozy and comforting it feels? Let’s snuggle, as it were, into the robe of righteousness Jesus has given us that we might feel the comfort and peace and security that is our heritage in Christ. It is that sense of security that provides the propulsion for the other aspects of Christian living. Then we will become Christ-focused not self-focused.

Reflections:

What is the difference between self-righteousness and the righteousness God provides for us in salvation? What is this divine righteousness called?Why is it so important to understand justification?Explain grace.What is the main thing that motivates us as Christians to be practically holy?

Prayer: Lord, you know how we tend to be self-righteous. Deliver me from this tendency. Help me, instead, to celebrate your grace, your undeserved favour in Christ. Grant me understanding of justification—that you declare me righteous for Jesus’ sake—not for anything I do. Remind me that once I have been declared righteous in Christ, I can never lose this status. I am saved eternally. I am justified once and for all. I know this doesn’t mean I am sinless, just forgiven. So help me not to be careless about confessing my sins to you lest I lose the peace and motivation to live for Christ. Help me wrap myself in the robe of Christ’s righteousness that I might live a life of grace and peace.

[1] John Bunyan, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, Evangelical Press, modernized version, 1988, p. 113

[2] https://cprc.co.uk/quotes/olevianus-on-assurance/; #141

[3] Uncertain, see https://learn.ligonier.org/articles/5-things-justification

Glory! – The Christian’s Destiny

(Chapter Forty-nine in a proposed book; Doctrine for Dummies)

I remember hitch-hiking in my late teens and early twenties. I’d stick out my thumb and hope for a car to pick me up. When a car stopped the driver would ask, “Where yuh headed?” And I’d give them a destination. They’d usually reply, “Hop in. I’m going that way.”

Life is a journey. We’re all headed somewhere. To those who believe in him, Jesus said they are going to his Father’s house where he will “prepare a place” for them. (See John 14:1-4.) At death believers go to heaven which is described in many ways, but in this passage as the Father’s house. It is a place of welcome, a place of happy hospitality, a place fitted especially for each believer’s enjoyment. Death is not the believer’s final destination, but rather a doorway into the glories of heaven.

Romans eight describes the spiritual journey leading to heaven as a transforming process with various stages. We read that “those God foreknew (loved before they were born), he also predestined…and those he predestined, he also called (through the gospel), those he called he also justified (declared forgiven and righteous); those he justified, he also glorified” (Romans 8:28,29).

To be glorified implies a radical transformation. Second Corinthians 4:16-18 explains that this world is a place of pain and sorrow and troubles. In this life, believers struggle to overcome the bent of their old nature towards sin. They face physical and emotional challenges. But as they daily trust in Christ to renew and strengthen their resolve to become godly, obedient disciples, their walk of faith achieves for them “an eternal weight of glory.” This “glory” involves transition through death into a state free from pain, sorrow, and sin. But it involves much more.

Three of his disciples saw Jesus shining with glory on the mount of transfiguration. This was a tiny foretaste of heaven. In John 17, Jesus prayed, “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me” (John 17:24). For the believer, entering heaven will be as if the light suddenly goes on in a dark room. Or as if the sun bursts forth through dark, threatening clouds. Suddenly everything becomes bright and glorious. Believers are transformed—glorified—through seeing Christ in all his blazing glory. Believers will reflect that glory. They will see him as he is.

No wonder Chas Gabriel wrote,

When all my labors and trials are o’er,

And I am safe on that beautiful shore,

Just to be near the dear Lord I adore,

Will through the ages be glory for me.

Describing heaven using human language is challenging. Students of the Scripture describe believers’ entrance into heaven as glorification. Glory in the original languages denotes weight or worth. Coal is common and dirty but under great pressure diamonds may form. God takes us, if we are believers in Christ, and translates us at death from a state of negative worth into persons of glory, of light, of value. We become precious and beautiful through having become Christ-like. We shine forth—like the moon—not reflecting the sun but the glory of Christ. “It is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” This process begins in this life. We “are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the “Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:18).

In this life we see God as through a broken tarnished mirror. But when we are glorified, we will have an explosion of insight and appreciation as the mysteries of God’s glory are unveiled before our astonished eyes. Worship and praise will keep bubbling up from deep within us.

Glorification implies enlightenment as our ignorance dissolves in a wave of understanding. We ask, “Why suffering? Why did this child or that young person die so early? Why does it take so long for an aged saint to pass on? Why war? Why such cruelty?” Why, why, why? “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known” (1 Cor 13:12). Waves of understanding will wash away our perplexity.

Glorification also introduces us to a state of excited anticipation where we will ask ourselves, “what wonder will God unveil next?” Oh, during our Christian walk God has given us hints about the glories of heaven but; “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit” (1 Cor. 2:9,10). The reality behind the images, the types, the hints will be unveiled before our wondering eyes. Heaven is not going to be boring!

Going to heaven does not complete the process of our transformation. As the Gospel Coalition explains, “Entering into God’s glory is a two-stage process. We must first overcome the damage caused by sin and then be transformed from the material to the resurrection world…The intermediate state; heaven; the eternal state; the new heavens and earth.” [1]

Glorification will only be complete when Christ returns to earth in power and glory. At that time we will receive our resurrection bodies. “We will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality” (See 1 Cor. 15:50-54).

Until that time—like the martyrs under the throne—we ask the Lord, “How long?” In heaven we will have an awareness of the unfolding of God’s eternal purpose and a longing to see that purpose fulfilled in the new heavens and the new earth.

What a wonderful future awaits every child of God. Like a child anticipates a birthday party, like a bride anticipates her marriage, we look forward to heaven, the first stage in our glorification.

Are you bound for heaven? If you truly believe the Gospel; that Jesus died for your sins, was buried and rose from the dead, then you are heaven-bound. If not, sadly, hell is your destination. Please embrace the Gospel and be saved!

Wordsworth wrote:

Thou hast raised our human nature

On the clouds to God’s right hand;

There we sit in heavenly places,

There with thee in glory stand.

Jesus reigns, adored by angels,

Man with God is on the throne,

Mighty Lord in thine ascension

We by faith behold our own.

Reflections:

What will be our main focus in heaven?Glorification describes a state of being free from what?How does glorification involve a change of understanding?What is there about glorification that indicates the redeemed will not be bored?What aspects of glorification are you especially looking forward to?

Prayer: Glorified Lord fill my heart with the expectation and hope that comes from knowing that when this life ends, a new life begins in the place you have prepared for me. Take away the fear of death. Take away anxiety and discouragement that come when I face suffering and disappointment. Help me to rise each morning to face a new day with hope. Enable me to persevere in the certain knowledge that having been saved by the blood of Christ, I will be glorified. And I pray that you may return soon with the powerful display of glory you predicted.

(send me an email if you would like to be informed about the publication of this book. (wrightee@eagle.ca ) Let me know your thoughts on this subject. If you appreciate this blog, please pass it on. If I can help you spiritually, let me know. Further articles, books, and stories at:  Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ; Eric’s books are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Eric-E.-Wright/e/B00355HPKK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share)

[1] See https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/topics/glorification-resurrection-of-the-body/#:~:text=The%20first%20part%20of%20our,new%20heavens%20and%20new%20earth.