Laziness and Slothfulness — Don’t Allow Either in Your Life

That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
— Hebrews 6:12

I’ll never forget the day when the Lord suddenly spoke to my heart as I was praying and shocked me by what He told me. I heard the Holy Spirit say, “Rick, if you’re going to do what I’ve called you to do, it’s time for you to remove slothfulness from your life!”

I was shaken when I heard those words. I had always been such a hard worker and couldn’t imagine why the Lord would tell me that I needed to remove laziness from my life. I sat quietly for a moment and thought about the Holy Spirit’s message to me. It upset me to think the Lord would think of me as lazy.

But in reality, the Lord hadn’t spoken a word to me about laziness. He had spoken to me about slothfulness. Until that day, I had always thought slothfulness and laziness were the same thing, but they are not.

I said to the Lord, “You know how hard I’ve been working in the ministry. I know You’re aware of how many hours I spend writing books, developing materials, traveling, teaching seminars, and preaching in more than four hundred different services every year. How could You ever accuse me of being lazy, Lord?”

The Holy Spirit gently answered me, “I didn’t say a word to you about laziness. You’re a good worker, and I would not accuse you of laziness. But you are slothful, and I want you to eradicate this slothfulness from your life!”

For the first time in my life, I realized there is a difference between laziness and slothfulness. Because Hebrews 6:12 speaks of slothfulness, I turned there first to begin my study as I sought to discover what the word “slothful” really meant. It says, “That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

To my utter amazement, I discovered that “slothful” doesn’t have anything to do with laziness! It comes from the Greek word nothros and describes something that is dull, monotonous, or unexciting; something that is slow and sluggish; or something that has lost its speed or momentum. This “something” is still moving, but it isn’t moving with the same velocity and aggressiveness it once had. It has lost the drive, thrust, impetus, pace, and speed it once possessed. This word therefore presents the idea of someone who was once zealous about something but whose zeal has now dissipated, replaced instead by neutrality.

The Greek word nothros could be typified by a candle that no longer burns brightly as it once did; now its flame has dwindled to a mere flicker of its original intensity. The candle still gives light, but not the way it once did. Thus, the word nothros doesn’t present the picture of laziness; rather, it speaks of someone who has lost his zeal or his intense conviction about a matter that once was of great importance to him. It denotes a person who has become disinterested and whose zeal has been replaced with a middle-of-the-road, take-it-or-leave it mentality.

Because of this word nothros, Hebrews 6:12 could be interpreted this way:

“Quit being slothful — quit acting like someone who has lost his enthusiasm and excitement and has now sunk into a state of being slow, boring, monotonous, sluggish, dull, and uninterested….”

When I grasped what the word “slothful” really meant, I began wishing the Lord had accused me of laziness! I saw that “slothfulness” has nothing to do with the amount of energy you or I put out to do a job. Instead, it speaks of an inward condition. Even though it may look like we’re going somewhere on the outside, inwardly we’re stuck in “neutral” and going nowhere.

In my case, I was doing a lot for the Lord at that time; however, right in the midst of all that activity, I was becoming hardened to the things of the Spirit. I was losing the edge I once possessed. When the Lord told me to remove slothfulness from my life, He was calling me to eradicate any hint of spiritual neutrality and to reclaim the red-hot position I’d previously held in my walk with Him.

If you are serious about serving and pleasing God, you must view the loss of your passion, momentum, and desire as totally unacceptable. If slothfulness has slowly wormed its way into your life, this spiritual problem can be corrected. You can get back on track again! By repenting and deciding to turn from slothfulness and neutrality, you can remove this hindrance from your life. So if you’ve lost your momentum in running your spiritual race, don’t stay in neutral! If you continue in that sorry state, it will only be a matter of time before you look back and realize how much ground you’ve lost.

Don’t let another day go by without repenting of your slothfulness and stirring up your inner desire to fulfill all God has called you to do. Shift back into high gear, and go after God’s best for all you’re worth! 

My Prayer for Today

Lord, help me understand how totally unacceptable it is for me to lose my passion, momentum, and desire. I ask You to forgive me for allowing any hint of slothfulness to operate in my life. Today I repent and deliberately turn from slothfulness. Holy Spirit, I turn to You now and ask You to stir and reignite the fire in my heart. Please help me regain the zeal, the thrust, and the fire I once possessed. Help me to keep that fire burning this time, never to lose it again.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I declare by faith that I am NOT spiritually neutral for Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit burns brightly in my life, and I am more excited about serving Jesus Christ than at any other time in my life! The fire of God is burning brightly inside me, evident for all to see. I am an example of what it means to be passionate, committed, and on fire about the things of God. I am stirred up and ready to take on any assignment God gives me — and I will do it with all my heart.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Can you detect any spiritual neutrality in your life?

2. What are the signs that let you know you have become neutral? Write them down so you can pray about them.

3. If you have become spiritually neutral, what steps are you going to take to start reversing this condition?

If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
— 1 Corinthians 3:15

I’ll never forget the day as a boy that I accidentally set our kitchen on fire! I had wanted to surprise my parents by cooking a wonderful meal for our family. I’d planned to set it on the table and have it ready for them when they arrived home from work. I cooked the corn, the green beans, and the biscuits — and, finally, it was time to fry the hamburger meat.

Because time was running out, I decided to turn up the fire so the meat would cook faster. The oil in the bottom of the pan grew so hot that it began to spit into the air. I jumped back to avoid being struck by it, but knew I had to do something quick because that hot oil was splattering all over the stove top and creating a huge mess. I reached to turn the fire down, but just as I did, the hamburger meat in the frying pan burst into flames! And when the fire on the meat burned down to the oil in the pan, the oil exploded into fire. My well-prepared hamburger patties were being cremated right before my eyes!

I reached for a pitcher of water and threw it on the flames to put the fire out. When I did, the hot, burning oil detonated like a bomb! An explosion of fire surged into the air. Red-hot embers of flaming hamburger exploded in front of me like lava spewing forth from a volcanic eruption. I watched as those burning embers sailed into my mother’s beautiful curtains that hung above the kitchen sink and engulfed them in flames. I was so completely stunned by what was happening that I stood motionless. I watched in shock as the fire consumed my mother’s delicate curtains.

Soon the tips of the flames reached upward and curled around the kitchen ceiling and cabinets. Smoke began to fill the room. The air became so smoke-filled that it began to hurt my eyes. That is when it dawned on me that I better act fast because I had a serious situation on my hands. So much happened so quickly that I don’t recall how the fire was extinguished. By the time my parents arrived home, the fire was gone. But instead of surprising them with a wonderful meal, they came home to a kitchen that was severely burned by a fire started with hamburgers!

The fire was gone, but the smell of smoke lingered for days. That acrid smell was in our clothes; it was in the walls; and it hung in the air. However, as bad as those cabinets looked, the damage was primarily cosmetic. With the aid of sandpaper, an electric sander, and a lot of hard work, my father put those burnt cabinets back in shape again. When he finished, no one could ever tell that there had been an inferno of flaming hamburger in our kitchen!

In First Corinthians 3:15, the apostle Paul wrote about the loss that can be created by fire. He wrote, “If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”

The word “burned” in Greek is katakaio — a compound of kata, meaning down, and kaio, meaning to burn. When compounded, the resulting word means to burn down, such as a building that burns all the way to the ground. In other words, this is no small fire. This is a fire that completely devours a building so that nothing remains but the foundation. Normally we would say a building burned up, but in actuality the word katakaio in this verse means to burn down until nothing remains but the foundation.

Such a consuming fire would be a great loss! That is why Paul went on to say, “If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss….” The word “loss” is from the word zemia, which means to suffer loss, to experience damage, or to forfeit one’s reward. This word pictures great injury, harm, and loss of property. It is the sad image of a man standing in the burned-down, charred remains of his house or building — but in this case, he is standing in the midst of his works that are now burnt to a crisp! Now nothing remains but a pile of rubble. After all his years of living and doing, everything went up in smoke, and now he has nothing to show for his life or works!

But Paul gave us this good news: “…But he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” Even though this person’s works have burned, he is still saved himself. His works have been lost, but not his salvation.

Although it’s good news that this person is still saved and headed to Heaven, Paul tells us that he is saved “yet so as by fire.” The phrase “yet so as by fire” comes from the Greek words dia puri. The word dia means through, and the word puri is the word for fire. When these words are used together as in this verse, most commentators agree that the Greek phrase means, “…He shall be saved, but like one who is escaping through the flames.” Or it could even be translated, “…He is saved, but he has the smell of smoke on his clothes.”

We should always be so thankful that God’s grace covers our sin, our mistakes, and the things we have built wrongly in our lives. But who wants to look into the face of Jesus and say, “Lord, I made it, but everything I did in my life went up in a puff of smoke”?

God has so much planned for us, and if we will listen to the Holy Spirit and build our lives and works wisely, our works will endure any fire that comes to test them. Then when we stand before Jesus, we will joyfully look into His eyes! Isn’t that better than having the smell of smoke on your clothes because your works were built so shabbily that they were burned in the fire and lost?

At the beginning of this Sparkling Gem, I gave the example of the kitchen I nearly burned to the ground. When the fire went out, there was smoke in the walls and the carpet, and the smell of smoke hung in the air for days and weeks. But rather than gaze on the mess in a state of despair, my father took his sandpaper and sander and went to work to put those kitchen cabinets back into good shape again.

If you can see that much of what you have built in the past has already burned up, of course you should repent for building your works wrongly in the first place. But wallowing in unending remorse won’t help you make any changes in your life. Never forget that God is on your side and He is just as sorry about your losses as you are!

Today I urge you to grab hold of the Holy Spirit’s power and begin to rebuild your works — and build them correctly this time. There is nothing you can do about the past except repent for what you did wrong. However, you can do something about the present and the future! Make the decision that from this moment onward, you are going to build your works right. I know that you don’t want to show up in Heaven with only the smell of smoke to show for your life. So ask the Holy Spirit to help you begin building works that will survive every test and bring a testimony of Jesus for eternity to the glory of God!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, I thank You for speaking to my heart today about what I am building with my life. I must admit that a lot of what I’ve done has already gone up in smoke. Yes, I know that I’m saved and headed to Heaven one day when I die, but when I see You face to face, I want to have something to show for my life. I don’t want to have only the smell of smoke to show for the years You have given me here on planet earth. I repent and ask You to please forgive me for what I’ve built too hastily and wrongly in the past. Holy Spirit, I ask You to help me build my works correctly this time!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I declare by faith that I am cautious in the way that I build my life, my works, my relationships, my business, my ministry, and my family. One day I will stand before Jesus, and on that day I will give account for my life. Because I am aware of that day, I live my life circumspectly and am very thoughtful and careful in the way I construct my life. Because the Holy Spirit guides me and I listen to Him, I build works that abide!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Can you think of past areas in your life that went up in a puff of smoke because you didn’t build them first in the right place? What were those areas of your life?
2. What did you learn from that experience? Did you just feel sorry and regretful that you lost so much, or did you allow the Holy Spirit to teach you from that experience?
3. Are there areas of your life that the Holy Spirit is trying to correct right now so that they will not go up in a puff of smoke later in life? Are you listening to the pleading of the Spirit? What areas are you most concerned about right now?

Filthy Stinking Rich

…In every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you.
— 1 Corinthians 1:5,6

My dictionary says that the word “rich” means to have goods, property, and money in abundance; to have possession of abundant resource, material goods, and significant wealth; to have more than enough to gratify one’s normal needs or desires.

Who wouldn’t enjoy being “rich” enough to satisfy his own needs and desires? Who wouldn’t like to have so much wealth that he could give large amounts of money and special gifts to family, friends, and loved ones? What person wouldn’t enjoy being able to financially help someone who has suffered due to difficult circumstances?

The dream of being “rich” has consumed human beings since the very beginning of man’s life on this earth. In fact, this insatiable desire and voracious appetite for wealth has driven both men and nations to lie, to steal, to fight, and even to murder and kill. However, if you are a child of God, you don’t have to lie, steal, fight, murder, or kill to be rich! You are already “rich” beyond your wildest imagination! Even though you may not have tapped into your riches yet, those resources are nonetheless at your disposal — and they will make you feel like you’re filthy stinking rich!

The apostle Paul told the Corinthians about these riches when he wrote, “…In every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you” (1 Corinthians 1:5,6). The word “enriched” is the Greek word plousios, which describes extreme or vast material wealth. In fact, the word plousios is where we get the term “plutocrat,” referring to a person who is so prosperous that he is unable to ascertain the full extent of his own wealth. Because his investments, his companies, and the percentage of interest he earns on his portfolio all grow so rapidly, it is impossible for his accountants and bookkeepers to keep track of how much wealth he actually possesses.

Can you imagine being so rich that no one can figure out how much you own or control? Well, that is the description of a “plutocrat”!

Now Paul uses this same word plousios in First Corinthians 1:5 when he says we are “enriched by him.…” The Greek word for “by” in this verse is the word en; and in this verse, it can be translated either in him or by him. This conveys two very powerful truths to you and me:

1. The day we were born again and placed into Jesus Christ was the richest day of our lives. On that day, we literally became joint heirs with Jesus Christ, with a legal right to all the promises of God! Indeed, that was a rich day for all of us! In light of this, First Corinthians 1:5 could be interpreted, “…We were made rich the day we were placed into Him….”
2. But the Greek word en could also emphasize the point that just as we were enriched the day we got saved, this enrichment process continues throughout our lives as we walk with God. The verse could thus be interpreted, “…We are continually being enriched as a result of being in Him.…”

Because the word plousios is used, this verse conveys the following idea:

“…You are invested with great spiritual riches because you are in Him, and that’s not all! The longer you remain in Him, you just keep getting blessed with more and more wealth that comes from being in Him.”

Of course, Paul is talking about spiritual riches, not worldly riches. As time progressed, the word plousios came to depict riches in a more general sense, including the riches of honor, wisdom, mercy, and so on. First Corinthians 1:5 uses the word plousios to happily proclaim that the Corinthian church was “enriched” with gifts of the Spirit, such as the gifts of utterance and knowledge: the word of knowledge, the word of wisdom, discerning of spirits, prophecy, tongues, and interpretation of tongues.

The church of Corinth was loaded with these kinds of spiritual gifts. In fact, these gifts were in such mighty manifestation in Corinth that Paul had to write and tell them how to administrate such a huge abundance of spiritual gifts (see 1 Corinthians chapters 12-14). It appears that the Corinthian believers had more of these gifts in manifestation than any other church of that time. In a real sense, they were extremely wealthy in spiritual manifestations that had come to them as a result of being in Christ.

The Corinthians had been enriched when they first came to Christ, becoming joint heirs with Jesus Christ and inheritors of the promises of God. But by remaining in Jesus, they were constantly made richer and richer as the gifts of the Spirit began to operate mightily among them.

In the same way, the gifts of the Spirit bring spiritual riches into our lives. In fact, the more these gifts operate, the richer we become spiritually!

So don’t settle for spiritual poverty. You have every right to expect an abundance of manifested promises, power, and spiritual gifts in your life. These spiritual riches are yours by virtue of your relationship with Jesus. The day you were placed in Him, they legally became yours! In God’s eyes, you are a spiritual plutocrat — so loaded with spiritual assets and treasures that you’ll never be able to fully explore or exhaust all of them in your lifetime!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I’m so glad You saved and delivered me from the life I used to lead. Thank You for making me a joint heir with Jesus and for allowing me to have access to the riches of Heaven! I ask You to forgive me for the times I’ve lived so far below what You provided for me. I sincerely ask You to help me explore the spiritual riches I possess. Help me to release those riches so my own life can be enriched and so You can use me to enrich the lives of people around me.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I boldly declare that the day I was born again and placed into Jesus Christ was the richest day of my life. On that day, I literally became a joint heir with Jesus Christ and obtained the legal right to claim all the promises of God! From that day until now, I have been constantly enriched by His Presence in my life. I no longer have to settle for spiritual poverty, because I have every right to expect an abundance of manifested promises, power, and spiritual gifts in my life. I possess more spiritual treasure than I’ll ever be able to explore or fully exhaust!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Do you see yourself as spiritually rich or spiritually poor?

2. What spiritual gifts operate in your life, and how have they enriched you and others?

3. Have you been hungering for and seeking God concerning the spiritual gifts He desires for you to operate in (1 Corinthians 14:1)?

If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
— 1 Corinthians 3:14

It is a fact that one day we will all stand before Jesus. On that day, each of us will give account for what we did with our lives. We’ll answer to Him for what we did, what we didn’t do, and what we should have done with our lives. On that day, there will be no hiding or twisting of facts. Hebrews 4:13 (NIV) says, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Make no mistake — Jesus sees it all! One day He will deal with us, and we will give an account. So if we’re smart, we will ask and discover the answer to the question: On what basis will you and I be
rewarded when we get to Heaven?

Today I want us to look at a very important verse in which the apostle Paul answered that question for us. In First Corinthians 3:14, Paul wrote, “If any man’s work abides which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.”

Notice that Paul said, “If any man’s work abide….” What does the word “abide” mean? It comes from the Greek word meno, which means to stay, to remain, to continue, or to permanently abide. It gives the idea of something that lasts, remains, persists, or endures. It speaks of something that has lasting power. Implied in this word “abide” is the idea that tests will come in life that will try our works.

It is just a fact that tests come in life. Many wrongly assume that God is the source of all such tests, but I assure you that life by itself will send many tests your way. Your relationships, your job, your finances — all of these will be tested along the path of life, and God’s participation is not needed to make these tests happen. They are just part of the package of life. But in addition to this, the devil will try to test your works. If he can find a way to do it, the enemy will pry his way into as many of your affairs as possible. He would love to set fire to your relationships, your job, your finances, or anything else that you hold dear.

So be assured that between life and the devil, you will encounter fiery tests in the course of your life. I’m not prophesying bad news to you; rather, I’m endeavoring to equip you to build your life right so you can withstand every test, regardless of its source. If you have built your works right, you and your works will pass the test. But if you have built works made of wood, hay, or stubble (see 1 Corinthians 3:12), one of these tests will ignite them like a match set to hay!

The good news is that even if your works fail and are consumed before your eyes, underneath you is a foundation that is immovable! In First Corinthians 3:11, Paul said, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Jesus is your Foundation! As we saw in yesterday’s Sparkling Gem, the word “foundation” in this verse is from the Greek word themelios. It is a compound of the words lithos, the Greek word for stone, and the word tithemi, which means to lay something down, like the laying of a foundation. This describes a foundation set in stone and thus a foundation that is strong, stable, and enduring. Even if everything else burns, your foundation will remain intact!

But who wants to lose everything in the end? There will be no special rewards for works that burn! In fact, Paul says we will only be rewarded for works that “abide.” If only works that survive will merit a reward, we must be very careful in the way we build our works.

So let me ask you: How are you building your life, your relationships, your children, your job, your ministry, and so on? Paul says, “If any man’s work abides which he hath built thereupon….” The words “built thereupon” are from the Greek word epoikodomeo, which is a compound of the words epi and oikodomeo. The word epi means upon, and the word oikodomeo is a word borrowed from the world of construction. It means to build or to construct. When these two words are compounded as in this verse, the new word means to build on top of something.

The apostle Paul was alerting us to the fact that once the foundation of Jesus Christ is laid in our lives, it is our responsibility to build on top of that foundation. This foundation cannot be improved upon, but what is built on top of it depends on us. We can build marvelous structures that endure the test of time, or we can build shacks that crumble and eventually go up in a puff of smoke. What is built on top of the foundation depends on us.

When the fires of life come — and they will come — those fires will reveal the quality of what we have built. Works that were built wrong will burn, and works that were built right will endure. And Paul assured us that we will be rewarded only for the works that abide. Man measures man’s success by activity and earthly achievement, but God measures success by how well we built our works and by the longevity of our works. As impressive as works may be at the moment, if they don’t pass the test of time, they will not merit a reward. That is why the Bible declares, “If any man’s work abides which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.”

The words “shall receive” point to a future moment when each of us will stand before Jesus. At that moment, the books will be opened, and Jesus will carefully examine our lives. He will look to see if our works survived or if they failed in the fires of life. By looking at His ledger, He will know if we built our lives thoughtfully in a manner that brought honor to His name or if we built shacks on top of the glorious foundation He established under us through the riches of our spiritual inheritance in Him.

If our works were built right and endured the tests of life, Paul says we will receive a “reward.” The word “reward” is the Greek word misthos, an old Greek word that denotes pay, salary, or reward. In other words, Jesus will make sure you are well-compensated and rewarded for all of your works that were built right! When you stand before Him and He sees that your life and works survived every test, you will receive full remuneration for every sacrifice you made. Because you built your life and works correctly, you’ll get a bonus that will last for all of eternity!

This verse could be taken to mean:

“Every person is set on a rock-solid foundation, but what he builds on top of it is his responsibility. If he has constructed his life and works so well that they remain after all the fires of life have come and gone, this is what will merit him a reward in the future.”

What a shocking insight this is! It means that as important as we think our activities are, God’s measuring stick by which He determines rewards is not determined by how busy or active we are in life. His measuring stick is how well we accomplished our activities according to His instruction and whether or not our actions were built to survive the fires of life. Why would God reward us for anything we built that ultimately went up in a puff of smoke because of our shoddy workmanship or because our building materials were mixed with wrong motives and “good ideas” that were not “God’s ideas”? He is looking for obedience, excellence, permanence, and durability. These are the qualities that give Him glory.

Take a moment to look at your life today. What can you ascertain about your future reward based on the character of your actions? Have you built your life and works in a way that gives glory to Jesus? Jesus Christ is your glorious Foundation, but what have you built on top of that foundation? Have you constructed something marvelous that honors Him and gives Him glory, or have you built your life and works so fast and cheap that they can’t endure the many tests of life?

Since we will be rewarded only for what “abides,” we must ask the Holy Spirit to help us take an honest look at our lives to see what has been built right and what has been built wrong. It’s never too late to start doing it right. If you’ve built your life and works on such a solid foundation that it can pass any test, then rejoice! But if you know that your works aren’t built to survive, now is the time for you to let the Spirit of God help you start all over again!

If your works have already burned, this is very regretful. But the good news is your foundation is still in place. The foundation of Jesus Christ in your life is immovable! Because you still have Him as your Foundation in your life, with God’s help you can start building your life and works again. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you, and He’ll show you how to build better this time!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I thank You for speaking to me today through what I just read. Now I understand that You are looking for excellence, permanence, and durability in my life. Forgive me for thinking that You would reward me only for being active and busy. Now I understand that You want quality from my life, not just quantity. You are looking for more than a lot of works – You are looking for works that remain! From this moment onward, I ask You to help me constantly take an honest appraisal of what I am doing and what I am building to make sure that I am investing myself wisely into works that will endure the tests of life. I want You to be pleased the day I look into Your eyes, so I am asking You to help me carefully measure my works and to make sure that I am living and building my life in a way that will merit a reward.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that the Holy Spirit is helping me to build my life and works so strong that they will resist any test that comes in life. I am living by the Word of God, listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit and obeying God’s commands. As I walk in obedience to the Word of God and build my life on this solid foundation, I can rest assured that what I am building will pass the test of time. I am committed to living a life of excellence, to building my life for permanence, and to bringing glory to the name of Jesus Christ in all that I do.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. As you look at your life, can you see areas of your life that because you built too quickly and too cheaply, they therefore didn’t last very long? What were those areas, and what did you learn from these experiences?
2. As you look forward to the rest of your life, how are you constructing your life and works right now? What steps and actions are you taking now that are different from what you did in the past to assure that your works will abide?
3. If you saw someone else building their works in a way that wouldn’t resist a fiery test, what would you tell them to do differently in order to prevent a painful loss? Can you think of such a person that you know right now? Pray that you or someone else will have an opportunity to speak the truth to them in order to help them avoid a catastrophe later in life.

Stopping Satan At His Own Game

Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
— 2 Corinthians 2:11

I don’t like talking about the devil, but time after time the Bible warns us that the devil is like a roaring lion who roams about, seeking whom he can destroy (1 Peter 5:8). Whether we like it or not, the devil is a real personality who is looking for ways to destroy our lives. Since the Bible frequently warns us about this sinister enemy, we need to know:

• How the devil operates.
• How to identify the devil’s attacks at their very onset.
• How to block and stop his devilish assaults.
• How to prevent repeat attacks from occurring in the future.

In Second Corinthians 2:11, the apostle Paul wrote a verse that is teeming with insight to answer these questions. He wrote, “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

Paul clearly understood that Satan was constantly seeking ways to take advantage of people. The word “advantage” in this verse is the Greek word pleonekteo. This word means to outwit; to trick; to take advantage of someone through some sinister or sneaky means. It is a compound of the word pleon, which means more, and the word echo, which means to have. Together, these words form the word pleonekto, which denotes a desire to have more, more, and more. It is a form of the word pleonexia, the Greek word for greediness. In this case in Second Corinthians 2:11, it pictures someone whose lust for something is so intense that he will take any actions required to obtain what he wants.

Because Paul used this word about Satan, we are alerted to the fact that Satan desperately wants something in his control. He wants us! The devil will use any method necessary to take advantage of us and get us under his control. He will deviously and artfully endeavor to outwit us, trick us, dominate us, and ultimately take us as his hostages. That is why Paul said, “…We are not ignorant of his devices.”

When you have an enemy who hates you this much and who wants to destroy you, you can’t afford to be ignorant. In Paul’s case, he and his team were invading new territory with the Gospel all the time. Paul knew that Satan wanted to hinder and even stop them and that it was therefore essential for him to understand the way the devil operated. He had to be able to discern whether he was facing a mere human problem or a planned demonic attack.

Likewise, you need to know if the storm you’re facing right now is just a natural problem that will blow over, or if are you facing demonic turbulence sent from hell to disrupt God’s plan for your life. You can’t just shut your eyes and hope the problem will work out by itself. If this is an attack from the devil and you do nothing to stop it, it will not simply go away. On the contrary, it will actually increase and become more intense. That’s why being able to recognize Satan’s game is so important!

The word “ignorant” in Second Corinthians 2:11 is the Greek word agnoeo, and it refers to one’s ignorance or lack of certain facts. However, it also includes making mistakes or errors due to a lack of understanding. It is the picture of an uneducated person who, due to a lack of knowledge, is prone to arrive at mistaken conclusions. The word agnoeo depicts someone who is in the dark or without a clue. Because this person lacks understanding, his conclusions are faulty, erroneous, and misguided. This is where we get the word agnostic, the official name used to describe individuals who claim they don’t know what they believe. So when someone claims to be agnostic, he is literally claiming to be ignorant!

An example of this kind of ignorance is often seen when a person is diagnosed with a terminal disease sent from the devil, yet the person believes his sickness comes from God. Because the sick person is ignorant of the fact that Satan and not God is the author of sickness and disease, he mistakenly concludes that his sickness must be God’s will for his life. This ignorance is so devastating that it could possibly lead to that individual’s premature death. Do you see how dangerous it is to remain ignorant about how the devil operates?

This is the reason Paul says, “…We are not ignorant of Satan’s devices.” Paul and his companions had carefully observed how the devil operates and the primary methods he uses to attack. As a result, they knew how to recognize the onset of an attack when Satan started maneuvering to frustrate their plans. Paul and his team were definitely not in the dark about the devil; hence, the enemy found it much more difficult to take advantage of them.

Paul had to learn these things because he faced problems with people, religious leaders, governmental leaders, and even with friends. He was thrown in prison, cast into the sea, and beaten during moments of persecution. Traps were constantly being set for his capture, and he constantly had to be on the lookout for people who tried to use him and take advantage of him. Paul couldn’t afford to be in the dark spiritually about the way Satan operated — and neither can you!

But notice what Paul says next: “…We are not ignorant of Satan’s devices.” The word “devices” is the Greek word noemata, derived from the word nous. The word nous is the word for the mind or the intellect. However, when the word nous becomes the word noemata, it describes a mind that is scheming, calculating, conniving, devious, shrewd, sly, or clever. This is very significant because it alerts us to the reality that Satan isn’t just hoping to hinder us; he is incessantly scheming and conniving to injure or deliberately mess up a person’s plans, health, marriage, business, and family. The enemy doesn’t really care how he accomplishes his evil plan; he just wants to find ways to ruin whatever that person holds dear.

Thus, the word noemata denotes Satan’s insidious, malevolent plot to attack and victimize human beings, clearly demonstrating that the devil loves to captivate and ultimately destroy human beings. If this devilish process is not aborted by the power of God, it is only a matter of time before Satan puts the last touches on his plan to take captive a person, family, church, ministry, business, organization, or even an entire nation!

When you put all of these words together, it expresses this idea:

“Satan can forget it if he thinks he is going to pull the wool over our eyes! We know how he operates, and we understand the way he schemes and connives to take us out.”

So don’t shut your eyes and ignore the fact that the devil wants to bring about your downfall. Instead, open your eyes and allow the Holy Spirit to teach you how to recognize the devil’s operations so you won’t fall prey to him any longer. Then you’ll be able to say, “Devil, I know this is you attacking me, so I am telling you to leave now in Jesus’ name!”

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I thank You for opening my eyes and illuminating my understanding to recognize Satan’s attacks against my life. Thank You also for giving me the understanding to know how to stand against these demonic attacks. I am so grateful that You have sent the Holy Spirit to be my Teacher and Guide and to equip me to stand against every assault that comes against my life, my family, my church, my business, and all my relationships. Armed with the power and insight of the Spirit, I never have to allow the enemy to take advantage of me again. So I open my heart today, and I ask the Holy Spirit to teach me everything I need to know to stand against the wiles the devil wants to employ against me.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I declare that I am not ignorant of Satan’s devices. Because the Holy Spirit is my Teacher, I know how to recognize the onset of Satan’s attack as he starts maneuvering to frustrate my plans. I am not in the dark about the devil; therefore, the enemy finds it very difficult to take advantage of me. Because my mind has been illuminated to see how the devil operates, his evil plots against my life are aborted by the power of God! I will not be taken down by any strategy the enemy tries to use against me.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Are you aware of areas in your personal life where you are currently falling prey to the cunning plots of the devil? Can you think of some ways you have been susceptible in the past to his repeated tactics?

2. Have you really looked at Satan’s repeat attacks on your life to see what you can learn about the way he attacks you?

3. Since awareness of your enemy is so important, what are some ways you can be more prepared for his attacks, all of which are designed to bring ruin in your life?

God’s Power Is Yours For the Taking

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
— Ephesians 6:10

Many years ago, I was preaching in a series of meetings about the power of the Holy Spirit. At the end of one of the services, an invitation was given for people to come forward who wanted to be filled with the Spirit. I watched with great joy as nearly one hundred people filled the altar of that church. They slipped down on their knees at the steps of the stage, lowered their heads in prayer, and began to ask the Lord to touch them, to fill them, and in some cases, to refill them with a fresh infilling of power.

As I stepped off the stage to pray for the people, the host informed me that he would be praying for them that night. I moved aside to let him take the lead, but it was a decision I soon regretted. I watched as this leader moved among those dear people, patting them on the back and telling them, “You have to pray louder. You have to pray harder. You have to plead if you want to be filled. You have to tarry a little longer.”

In a matter of minutes, the atmosphere at that altar mutated into a sad scene as those precious people began to beg and plead for something that God graciously and freely wanted to give them. A precious work of grace was turned into an ugly work of the flesh — and as a result, few of them received anything from God that night.

Later I asked the host, “How long have these people been praying to be filled with the Spirit?” He answered that some had been waiting as long as twenty years; some had been waiting fifteen years; and others had been seeking for a “mere” year or two. I was aghast! I thought, Why has it taken so long for these believers to be filled with the Holy Spirit when this is something God has made so accessible to every believer?

You see, the fresh touch of power each of us need today is as close as the air we breathe. God designed us to be the receptacles for this power (see January 12), so He wants us to receive it. He knows we need it to walk in victory, to exercise authority in our lives, and to overcome the works of the devil.

But where do we get that supernatural power? Paul answers this question in Ephesians 6:10, where he says, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” I want you to especially look at that phrase “be strong in the Lord.”

The phrase “in the Lord” is a Greek phrase that means that this special infusion of dynamic, supernatural power can be found in only one place — in the Lord. The fact that Paul wrote in this particular Greek case is very important, because it tells us that this power is locked up in the Person of Jesus Christ and that it can’t be found anywhere else.

You can’t obtain this supernatural power by reading books or listening to tapes. The books and tapes can direct you to the place where it can be found, but the power itself can only be obtained through a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. This power is locked up “in the Lord.”

Now, let me take this one step further so I can explain why it’s so easy and uncomplicated for you to receive a new infilling of God’s power in your life. This same locative case that describes the power of God being locked up inside Jesus Christ is used nine times in Ephesians 1, where Paul uses it to declare that we are perpetually and infinitely locked up inside the Person of Jesus Christ. In verses 3, 4, 6, 7, 10 (twice), 11, and 13 (twice), Paul says that we are in Him, in Christ, in whom, or in the Beloved. Because these phrases are in the locative case, Paul is saying we have actually been placed inside Jesus Christ; He has become our realm of existence and the place of our habitation.

Just as you live at a certain physical address, you also have a spiritual address. You permanently reside inside the Son of God! He is your permanent home — a home from which you will never move because you are locked up and securely placed inside Him perpetually!

Stay with me, because this now leads us to the reason that the supernatural power of God we desperately need is so easy to receive!

The reason God’s power is so accessible to us is that both we and this divine power are gloriously locked up inside the same place! The power is located inside the Lord, and we are also located inside the Lord. We may not always be mentally aware of it, but we are constantly rubbing elbows with this divine power on a day-to-day, hour-to-hour, and minute-to-minute basis.

Let me use a simple illustration to help you get the point of what I’m communicating to you today. The fact that we reside inside Jesus along with God’s power can be somewhat likened to water and fish sharing the same space in an aquarium. The water and fish are definitely different in substance, but they both reside in the same tank. The tank serves as the “home” for these two substances that are held simultaneously within its walls. Therefore, the fish doesn’t have to release its faith to get into the water, for it already perpetually lives in the water.

The very fact that we are locked up inside the Lord along with the Holy Spirit’s supernatural power means that we are never far away from a new surge of superhuman power into our human spirits. A fresh surge of this power into us is as accessible as our very next breath of air! It’s just as normal for us to receive a new infilling of the Spirit as it is for a fish to freely swim around in its tank.

In fact, God has designed our lives in Christ in such a way that it would be very difficult for us not to freely receive this impartation of superhuman, supernatural strength for the fight. However, if we are to experience this ever-available, ever-near power, we must open our hearts to it and ask God to release it into our lives. Then by faith we must reach out to embrace it.

This means there is no need to beg, plead, or beat yourself up in prayer to somehow prove that you are good enough to receive this divine power. If you know Jesus Christ, you are already locked up in the same place with the power of God. In fact, you’re rubbing elbows with it all the time. It’s no more difficult to receive than it is for a fish to start swimming! It’s yours for the taking!

You are surrounded by God’s supernatural power right now. At this very moment, you are immersed in that divine power. Supernatural inner strength and ability is yours for the taking — so take it by faith! 

My Prayer for Today

Lord, how can I ever thank You enough for making Your power so available to me? I need this power so much in my life, and I’m grateful You have made it so easy for me to receive it. Therefore, I open my heart right now by faith, and I ask You to give me a fresh infilling of Your Spirit.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit’s supernatural power is never far away from me. A fresh surge of this power is as accessible to me as my very next breath of air! It’s just as normal for me to receive a new infilling of the Spirit as it is for a fish to freely swim around in its tank. In fact, it’s difficult for me NOT to receive this impartation of superhuman, supernatural strength for the fight! Because my heart is open to receive it, I ask God to release it into my life, and by faith I now receive this divine power. It’s mine for the taking! 

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. When was the last time you received a fresh surge of supernatural power in your life?

2. Do you freely receive a touch from the Lord, or do you feel like you have to beg and plead in order to convince Him to give you a fresh touch of His power?

3. How will today’s Sparkling Gem make a difference in your way of thinking?

For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:11

In the late 1990s, our ministry set out to construct a large church building for our congregation in Riga, Latvia. One of the most important steps in this complex process was creating a foundation that could support the church building, and since the planned structure was massive, the foundation would have to be immense. This also meant it would be very expensive!

The land that our ministry had purchased for this church building was ideal in terms of its location, but the ground itself was composed of peat moss! Peat moss is a beautiful, rich, dark soil, but structurally, it is very unsound. In fact, if we had built on top of it, our building would have sunk down into the soil! So before we could start building our foundation, bulldozers had to come and remove that rich, dark soil.

Day after day, I watched as the crew dug deeper and deeper, trying to find hard ground beneath all that peat moss — until at long last they found hard soil 12 feet deep in the earth! When it was all said and done, 12 feet of peat moss had to be removed from an area the size of a football field. Every day I went to the site to watch as dump trucks loaded with rich, dark peat moss drove away to dump that soil into the river!

When the huge depression for the foundation was finally dug, I climbed down into it and walked from one end to the other. I was so proud of that big hole in the ground! It alone had cost more money than any other project I had ever taken on in my life. However, once the soil was excavated, it was then time to fill the hole with copious amounts of sand and gravel so the concrete foundation could be poured.

Over the course of the next few months, the same dump trucks that had previously carried soil away returned to pour layers upon layers of sand and gravel into that big, expensive hole. Before long, that hole was history! By the time the hole was refilled with rock and sand, our church building had already cost a fortune!

The next step was to build the foundation for our church building. The workers built a wood frame around the perimeter of the building site and then laid steel to reinforce the concrete once it was poured. Once the frame was secure, the concrete trucks arrived and began pouring concrete. That was such an exciting day!

For weeks cement trucks churned sand, water, and cement into concrete, and the workers poured it onto the site. Because there wasn’t a lot of sophisticated construction equipment in the former USSR at that time, everything had to be done by hand. The newly poured concrete had to be carefully smoothed by hand before it dried, and the laborers worked quickly and efficiently to complete each new section before moving on to the next. Everyone involved worked meticulously with an observant eye to ensure no mistakes were made in this important process.

Finally, the day came when all the trucks left, and I could examine our new foundation. At 306 feet long and 108 feet wide, that slab was huge! In fact, it was so big that it took several minutes for me to walk from one end to the other! Soon after, the crew arrived with their noisy grinding machines and literally ground the surface of that foundation until it was nearly as smooth as silk. Then it was time for the next phase — the construction of the building’s steel frame!

However, before they put that steel frame in place, I would drive out to the site early each morning, walk around the foundation, and look at it in wonder. I would think about how it began as an abandoned field of peat moss, and then through a lengthy, elaborate, expensive process, it became our rock-solid foundation.

I loved that foundation! When we started to build it, our ministry didn’t have the money needed to complete it. Day by day, I prayed and believed God for the money to dig that hole, buy the sand and rock, and purchase and pour the concrete. No one appreciated that foundation as much as I did because no one else knew what a miracle it was that we had been able to pay for it. That foundation had been built by faith. It was my miracle foundation!

When the church building was completed, it almost broke my heart when the carpet was laid over that foundation! So much work had gone into building that foundation, and the carpet would completely hide it. In fact, no one would ever even think of the foundation as they walked over it. Everyone who came into that building to worship God would never realize the fortune of sand, rock, and concrete that was beneath their feet, yet it was there whether or not they realized it. Although that foundation was no longer visible to anyone’s sight, it was essential to keeping that building standing strong for many years to come.

Think about it — how often do you walk into a gorgeous building and say, “Wow, what an awesome foundation this building has!” NEVER! When you walk into a new building, you see carpet, tile, wallpaper, light fixtures, and other beautiful cosmetic work, but you don’t see the foundation. You probably don’t even think about the foundation! However, if the foundation isn’t properly put in place, that building won’t last very long. The longevity of the whole building depends on the foundation.

Building a foundation is a hard, elaborate, lengthy, expensive process, but it is extremely important. In First Corinthians 3:11, the apostle Paul wrote about the spiritual foundation he had laid in the church of Corinth. He said, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

The word “foundation” that Paul used in this verse is the Greek word themelios, a compound of the words lithos and tithemi. The word lithos is Greek for stone, and tithemi means to lay something down. When these words are compounded, they form the word themelios, which describes a foundation set in stone that is strong, stable, and enduring.

In addition to describing a physical foundation, the word themelios was also used metaphorically to denote the laying of a moral, theological, or educational foundation in a person’s life. These figurative foundations, just like an actual physical foundation of a building, are all built with enormous effort, intense concentration, and great expense.

When the apostle Paul first entered Corinth, the city was utterly consumed with idolatry and heathenism. In fact, it is no exaggeration to say that Corinth was one of the most wicked, perverted cities on the face of the earth at that time. Therefore, for Paul to establish a church in that evil environment, he had to push like a spiritual bulldozer in the Spirit to shove those demonic powers out of the way. Once the spiritual rubbish had been cleared from his path, he then preached the Word in order to establish a firm foundation under the feet of these newly saved Corinthians. Paul’s enormous effort and intense focus produced a foundation under them that would withstand any attack of the enemy — including horrific persecution — and would last for generations!

Whenever Paul left a congregation to establish a church in a new region, a new pastor would follow in his stead to build on top of his work. However, every spiritual foundation that the apostle set beneath a church was rock-solid and needed no improvements. That is why he confidently stated to the Corinthians, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11).

Because of Paul’s hard work, the church in Corinth was set on a firm spiritual foundation that enabled it to become one of the most influential congregations of the Early Church. Although other spiritual leaders followed Paul and contributed their part, a large part of the fruit produced in the Corinthian church can be directly attributed to the talents, energy, and gifts Paul used to establish the foundation for that congregation.

With this in mind, first take a moment to evaluate your own spiritual foundation with the help of the Holy Spirit. Are there any gaps that need to be filled in? Are there “swampy” areas in your mindsets and beliefs that need to be dug out and filled in with solid, Word-based soil? Ask the Lord for wisdom, and the Spirit of God will be faithful to give you all that you need to make sure your foundation is deep, wide, and bedrock-solid so you can build your life high and wide and strong in Him!

Then as you reflect on your life, see if you can think of a person or people who helped build a godly foundation in your life, such as a family member, a friend, a teacher, or a pastor. At the time these individuals were pouring themselves into your life, you might not have even realized the significance of their actions. However, as you look back on all they did, aren’t you grateful for the time and energy they invested in you in order to build a firm foundation in your life?

When I think back on all the people Denise and I have poured ourselves into over the years, it makes me realize how much it means to us when they come back to say thank you for what we did for them. Those expressions of thanks mean so much! Although it is not demanded or expected, it is a wonderful reward to hear that we have touched people’s lives and that our actions helped them get established on a firm foundation.

Have you taken time to thank people for the sacrifices they made to do this very thing for you? For those who invested themselves in you, I recommend that you take time to do something special to express your heartfelt thanksgiving for how they helped you in a pivotal moment of your life.

Never forget that the longevity of a building greatly depends on the foundation. Although laying a spiritual foundation is a hard, elaborate, lengthy process that can come at great cost, it is nevertheless extremely important. If a godly foundation is laid correctly, a person’s life will be well supported, and he will be able to pass the test of time. On the other hand, if a foundation under a person’s life is built too hastily or on shifting soil, that person will not have a firm footing as he proceeds forward in his spiritual walk.

As a closing thought, I encourage you to remember Jesus’ exhortation: “Freely ye have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8). This means that you should actively seek to build up the spiritual foundation of other people, just as others took the time to help strengthen your foundation. Do everything you can to help build strong foundations in the lives of those around you, even as you ensure that your own foundation is built strong and sure to hold the full weight of all that God has destined you to be!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, I want to thank You for loving me so much that You placed people in my life to help build a solid foundation underneath me. Because of what they invested in me, my life is set on a firm foundation. I am so thankful for everything that was graciously done on my behalf! Please help me fortify my own foundation in every area that might need shoring up or strengthening. And I ask that You open my eyes to people around me who need the same kindness and care shown to them. Your Word says “freely ye have received, freely give,” so I know I have a responsibility to give of myself as others gave to me. I want to be a positive influence in someone else’s life, so I ask You, Holy Spirit, to show me how to be the same kind of blessing that others have been to me.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I have a strong foundation in God, firmly based on the truth of His Word. And I allow Him to use me to positively influence other people’s lives. I have gifts, talents, abilities, and experience that will help put others on a firm foundation for life. Rather than keep those gifts, talents, abilities and life experiences to myself, I allow God to use these to help other people get started on a firm foundation. Because I allow the Holy Spirit to use me, I am a great blessing to people who are around me. God works through me, and other people’s lives are benefited because I am willing to invest myself in them and in their future.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Who helped establish a foundation underneath your life? As you look back on your life and recall all that those individuals did to help you in your life and career, are you deeply thankful for their great investment of time and energy to ensure that your life or career was established on a firm foundation?
2. Have you taken time to thank those people for the sacrifices they made for you? I recommend that you take a few minutes today to write them, to call them, or to do something special to express a heartfelt thanksgiving for what they invested in you at a pivotal moment in life!
3. Who are you investing yourself in today? If God cared enough for you to send a person into your life that would help you get a firm footing in life, then don’t you think it is right that you should do this for someone else? Who are you helping in life?

Your Redemption Is a Done Deal

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.
— Galatians 3:13

Don’t you wish you could be free from sin and its consequences once and for all? Well, according to Galatians 3:13, you already are! You just haven’t comprehended it yet! Let me give you an illustration of this before we dive into Galatians 3:13.

A friend of mine had a goat that he dearly loved. Very late one night, he received a telephone call from the local police, who informed him that his goat had wandered away from home, had been hit by a car, and now lay dead in a ditch by the side of the road.

My friend was grieved and broken-hearted, but he knew he needed to retrieve the dead goat. When he approached the ditch where the goat lay, he saw that the goat was very much alive! Its legs were bound with rope, which let my friend know that someone had kidnapped the goat and then dumped it in the ditch on the side of the road.

Jubilantly, he leaped into the bottom of the ditch, pulled out his pocketknife, cut the ropes, slapped the goat on its backside, and said, “Get up!” But the goat just lay there with its legs still clinging to each other as if they were still bound with rope. He hit her a second time, then a third time. Then he yelled at her one last time, “Get up!”

My friend mused to himself, Bless this dumb ol’ goat! It’s free and doesn’t even know it! He reached down and pulled apart the goat’s legs; then he lifted it and set it on its feet. Only then did the goat realize it wasn’t bound anymore.

When I heard this story, it made me think about us as believers. We don’t need to get free — we are free! Jesus’ work on the Cross totally purchased our redemption and freedom.

Although Jesus broke the bonds of slavery and the devil has no legal hold on believers anymore, most believers still lay on their sides in the bottom of the ditch, wishing they could get free. The chains that hold them are an illusion, because Jesus already paid the price for their release!

Galatians 3:13 gives us a glorious picture of the redemption Jesus Christ purchased for us. The word “redeem” that Paul used in this verse is derived from the Greek word exagoridzo. It is a compound of the words ex and agoridzo. The word ex is a preposition that means out. The word agoridzo was the Greek word most notably used to describe the slave market — a disgusting place where human beings were bought, sold, and traded like animals.

But when the words ex and agoridzo are compounded together, it pictures a buyer or redeemer who has gone to the slave market to purchase a slave for the solitary purpose of bringing him out of that place of slavery so he can be set free. Therefore, this particular word for “redeem” conveys the thought of permanent removal from captivity.

Exagoridzo is the very word Paul used in Galatians 3:13, where he says, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law….” Because this word is used in connection with Jesus redeeming us from the curse of the law, Paul is telling us plainly that Jesus’ sacrificial death didn’t only pay the penalty for our sin; His death removed us from living under the curse henceforth!

Paul continues to tell us that Jesus’ work of redemption was the reason He came into the world: “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” (Galatians 4:4,5).

As you get started on your day, take time to rejoice that God’s purpose in sending Jesus was not only to inspect your condition of slavery and locate you in your depravity — His ultimate plan was to buy you out of that miserable condition and then to place you in His family as His own child. You are forever removed from the curse of sin and the law. God accomplished that plan through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. It’s a done deal!

You’re a purchased possession, bought out of bondage by the Son of God, never to be a slave to sin again. So make a quality decision to walk in the reality of that marvelous fact!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, I thank You that my redemption is a done deal! It’s not something I’m trying to get; it’s something You’ve already purchased and accomplished in my life. Help me renew every area of my mind so I can enjoy the liberty You purchased for me. Give me a desire to experience Your freedom in every sphere of my life and a determination to reject any form of bondage that tries to hang on to me!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I confess that I am free! Sin has no more hold on me! Bondages and habits from the past have no more legitimate right to exercise their control over me! I rejoice that God sent Jesus to buy me out of my slavery and place me in His family as His own child. I declare that I am forever removed from the curse of sin. I agree that it’s a done deal!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Have you ever felt like that goat, mentally and emotionally paralyzed by the fear of being “kidnapped” by some kind of bondage in your life?

2. How would you act differently if you truly believed that you are no longer under the power of sin and its consequences once and for all?

3. How has the realization of what Jesus accomplished through His death and resurrection changed your opinion of yourself as God’s child?

…Take heed that no man deceive you.
— Matthew 24:4

For those who have a listening ear to the Spirit of God, it is clear that we have entered into the very last part of the last days. As a result, recent decades have brought us face to face with difficult issues, whether we wanted to be confronted with them or not. According to Bible prophecy, things are only going to get more intense as the days pass, because we are living at the end of the age when Jesus, Paul, and Peter all prophesied that society as a whole would be deceived on a massive scale.

Jesus’ disciples had specifically asked Him, “…What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew 24:3). In response to that specific question, Jesus identified a list of exact signs that would indicate the very end of the age and His imminent return. Jesus gave many signs, but the first sign Jesus told them about contained a clear warning of a wide-scale deception that would emerge in the last part of the last days — and the need for people to prepare and guard against it. Jesus said, “…Take heed that no man deceive you” (v. 4).

In the original Greek, the words “take heed” were intended to jar and jolt the disciples to get their attention. As they perked up to really listen to what Jesus was telling them, they heard Him warn that as the present age came to a conclusion, an unprecedented deception would attempt to encompass every part of society.

In Matthew 24:4, the word “deceive” is used to depict this period when it will look as if delusion is taking over the world. It is the Greek word planao, which means to lead astray or to wander off course. This word “deceive” could depict a single individual who has wandered far off course, or it could describe a whole nation or nations that have morally veered from the position once held to be true.

Planao depicts a person (or nation) who, although once established on solid ground, is now morally drifting and teetering on the edge of a crooked, dangerous path. This individual has lost his bearings and has drifted off-track. He had already departed, or was in the process of departing, from what he once morally believed. He has begun going cross-grain against all that was once a part of his belief system.

In the years that lapsed between the Old and New Testaments, this same word “deceive” was often used to forecast a wide-scale deception that would one day envelope the earth. It was believed by scholars of that time that this deception would be a precursor to the glorious coming of the Messiah. Furthermore, it was widely held that a deception of this order could occur only as a result of the activity of evil spirits that would work intensely in the earth at the very end of the age. Scholars believed these dark powers would lead the world into deception en masse.

The apostle Paul also confirmed this long-forecasted deception. In Second Thessalonians 2, he described distinct events that would occur on the planet at the very end of the age and continue with greater aggression and intensity. He stated that the world’s population would become so ensnared in deception that they would be controlled by a strong “delusion” (v. 11). The word “delusion” in Greek is plane, a form of planao, the same word used in Matthew 24:4. However, in Second Thessalonians 2:11, the Greek word was translated “delusion” instead of “deception.” But the word planao nonetheless depicts a culture that has strayed so far that it has become beguiled, bewitched, duped, and seduced into believing a lie in place of the truth.

In Second Thessalonians 2:11, the Holy Spirit prophesied through Paul that society in the last days will become supernaturally hoodwinked — that is, it will be ensnared by an unparalleled period of deception on every front. This period of deceitfulness will be so intense that people will believe what is false over what is obviously true, even denying facts and truths that are common sense and that nature itself teaches (see Romans 1:20). This era of worldwide falsehood and deception will occur at the very end of this age and will continue into the time of the Great Tribulation. It will mark a time when wrong belief and delusion will pervade every realm of society. This is the clear teaching of prophetic Scripture about developments that will occur at the conclusion of this age.

Just look at the world around you today. Can you see deception at work? Watch the developments in the news. In a culture where moral standards bend so easily with the times, can you sense we have reached the tipping point where many are being deceived even now, not only in the United States, but also around the globe?

In Matthew 24:4, Jesus accurately foretold this worldwide deception on the earth in the last days and alerted His disciples that it would be a sign that His return was nigh. As we come closer and closer to the very last days of this age, we need to remember Christ’s forewarning of a season in time in which deception would grip the entire world. From all the signs around us, it appears that we are already there.

This is why it is so important that we keep our minds soaked with the Word of God, which renews us to right thinking in a world that has morally slipped in a wrong direction. It is imperative that we put the Word into our hearts — keeping it before our eyes and hearing it with our ears. It’s equally important to verbalize the truth of God’s Word to ourselves and to other believers, thus strengthening the truth in us and between us in a day when truth is slipping away.

Today I sense it’s my responsibility to ask you — what is your level of commitment to your Bible? Is it a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path (Psalm 119:105)? Is it the joy and rejoicing of your heart (Jeremiah 15:16)?

Rather than become victims of the age and spiritual casualties in the Body of Christ, we can hold our Bibles dearer and closer to our hearts and minds than ever before. We can reinforce ourselves against the days in which we live and the days that are forecast as yet to come. So let’s grab hold of the unalterable truths of God’s Word, dig our heels deep into it, and decide that we will stand firm on the truth that never changes, regardless of how society around us changes in the days to come!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, I see that the world is slipping into falsehood and delusion on so many fronts, just as You said it would in Matthew 24:4,5. Long-held moral truths are being reconsidered and changed; truths of the Bible are being discounted and laid aside; and it seems that this process is occurring at a faster and faster pace as we come to the close of this age. I ask You to give me the inner courage to stand fast on the Word of God — to embrace it, dig my heels into it, and not sway from the unalterable truths of Scripture, even if the world around me is slipping away from it. Help me to embrace the Bible tighter than ever before and to keep my thoughts in agreement with Your will, regardless of what is happening in the world around me.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

 

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I declare that I am committed to the eternal, unchangeable truths of God’s Word, regardless of what is happening in society all around me. The world may change what it believes and endorses, but not one word of God’s truth ever changes. I declare that I will wrap my arms around the Word of God, embrace it, and dig my heels into it. I will never surrender my conviction to the truths of the Bible. Holy Spirit, I need Your power and inner fortitude to do this, so I am asking You to reinforce me, along with my other close Christian friends, so we stand by the truth and refuse to be bullied into lowering our standards of believing the deception that is at work in the world in these last days!

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

 

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Do you know any believers who have slipped from their firm commitment to the eternal truths taught by the Bible? What has been your response to this slipping away? Have you prayed for them? Have you lovingly spoken to them about the direction they are taking?
2. Can you think of ways that the moral foundation in the world is changing — and how society is trying to push these changing morals on everyone? What would be one example that stands out in your mind?
3. What is your personal response to all of this? This is a question that you will definitely have to face in the days to come, so what is your answer right now? Are you going to be bullied or hoodwinked to change your view along with the rest of the world, or are you going to stand on the truth that never changes?

A Picture of Who You Used To Be

Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.
— Ephesians 2:2

Do you ever look through old photographs to reminisce about the past? When browsing through those old images, does it ever make you drift back to moments in the past that are precious to you or perhaps not so pleasant? Photographs are reminders of who we were back then, what we once looked like, what we once did, and so on.

Ephesians 2:2 is like looking at a photograph of what you were like before Jesus Christ came into your life. It says, “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.” The King James Version says, “Wherein in time past.…” But the Greek could be better translated, “Back then.…”

Paul was reminding his readers of what they were like before the grace of God touched their hearts. With this one statement, he reached into his pocketbook, pulled out a stack of old photographs, and began flipping through them, searching for one old photo that would remind them of their past. When Paul wrote Ephesians 2:2, it was like he held that old photo up in the air and said, “Hey, look at this! Do you remember what you looked like back then?”

Then Paul reminds his readers, “Back then…you walked according to the course of this world.” The word “walked” is the Greek word peripateo, a compound of the words peri and pateo. The word peri means around and the word pateo means to walk. When these are joined together, it means to walk around habitually in one general area all the time. The Greek grammar implies that it is a path from which these people cannot deviate. You might say they are trapped on this path — bound to walk it again and again. They are locked in this one general sphere and can’t find their way out by themselves.

The verse goes on to say, “Back then…you walked according to.…” That phrase “according to” is from the Greek word kata, which portrays something that is forceful or dominating. By using this little word, Paul reminds us that before we met the Lord, we “habitually walked around under the dominating influence of this world, unable to alter the path we were taking.” Although unaware of our condition, we were spiritual prisoners that were dominated and manipulated by the influence of a lost society.

But Paul goes on to say, “Back then…you walked according to the course of this world.…” The word “course” is from the Greek word aiona, a word that describes a specific, allotted period of time, such as an age, a specific era, or a generation. It often denotes the influence of a particular generation on a period of time, like a decade, a century, or even a millennium.

The word aiona also denotes the spirit of a period; for instance, the 1920s were typified as “the Roaring Twenties.” The spirit of the 1960s and 1970s was typified as a “rebellious” period because of drug use and the strong reaction against the Vietnam War. Many times in Greek literature, this word aiona carries this same meaning of the spirit of the age.

Then Paul adds the next word: “Back then…you walked according to the course of this world.…” This word “world” in Greek is kosmos, a word that depicts something that is fashioned or ordered. In this verse, it denotes systems and institutions in society, such as fashion, education, or entertainment. Because Paul uses the word kosmos, he paints a picture of people who have no standard like God’s Word by which to live; therefore, they are guided by the constantly changing ethics and whims of the times. Sadly, education, entertainment, and fashion are the forces that guide the lost world.

You could rephrase Ephesians 2:2 this way:

“Don’t you remember what you used to be like? Why, back then you habitually walked around trapped and unable to get off the track you were stuck on — totally unaware that you were being dominated and manipulated by the constantly fluctuating thinking of the day, by the whims of the times, and by whatever society was giving its approval to at that moment….”

That is who you were, but that is not who you are today! Now you are a child of God who has been redeemed, sanctified, and indwelt by the Spirit of God. But think for a moment of all the people you know who still don’t know Jesus Christ. That means they still fit into this category! They are still trapped, unable to get off the treadmill they are stuck on!

Don’t you think it’s time for you to tell those people the Good News about Jesus Christ? Aren’t you glad someone told you? They may not act thrilled when you first approach them, but after a while the message will begin to sink in, and they’ll be so thankful you told them the Good News!

My Prayer for Today

Lord, forgive me for the times I get so busy that I neglect my prayer life. I really want this inconsistency in my life to be broken; I want my prayer life to get stronger and more stable. I realize that when I don’t spend time alone with You, I make it difficult for You to tell me what You want me to know. Inconsistency is a work of the flesh, so I am asking You to help me break this pattern and learn how to make prayer one of the most important pillars of my life.

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

My Confession for Today

I declare by faith that prayer is a central and significant part of my life. God has great spiritual adventures planned for me, and He wants to reveal them to me during my time of prayer. I am steadfast, immovable, and consistent in my time with God. Nothing is as important to me as those moments I enjoy with Him. As I spend time with Him each day, He refreshes my spirit and enlightens my mind with the knowledge that He wants me to know. My prayer time is a key to the success God is giving me in my life.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

Questions to Answer

1. Do you find yourself praying “at each and every occasion” during the day?

2. How can you remind yourself to pray throughout the day?

3. In what types of situations would it be appropriate to pray the following kinds of prayers: the prayer of faith for your own life, the prayer of thanksgiving, the prayer of intercession, and the prayer of worship?