PSALM 145
God is worthy of our praise verse 1- 3
I will extol YOU – my God – O king
and I will bless YOUR name for ever and ever
every day will I bless YOU
and I will praise YOUR name for ever and ever
Great is the LORD – and greatly to be praised
and HIS greatness is unsearchable
God is to be praised for HIS mighty acts verse 4- 7
One generation shall praise YOUR works to another
and shall declare YOUR mighty acts
I will speak of the glorious honor of YOUR majesty
and of YOUR wondrous works
and men shall speak of the might of YOUR terrible acts
and I will declare YOUR greatness
They shall abundantly utter the memory of YOUR great goodness
and shall sing of YOUR righteousness
God is to be praised for HIS gracious character verse 8- 9
The LORD is gracious – and full of compassion
slow to anger – and of great mercy
The LORD is good to all
and HIS tender mercies are over all HIS works
God is to be praised for HIS faithful witness verse 10- 13
All YOUR works shall praise YOU – O LORD
and YOUR saints shall bless YOU
they shall speak of the glory of YOUR kingdom
and talk of YOUR power
to make known to the sons of men HIS mighty acts
and the glorious majesty of HIS kingdom
YOUR kingdom is an everlasting kingdom
and YOUR dominion endures throughout all generations
God is to be praised for HIS provisions to HIS people verse 14- 16
The LORD upholds all that fall
and raises up all those that be bowed down
the eyes of all wait upon YOU
and YOU give them their meat in due season
YOU open YOUR hand
and YOU satisfies the desire of every living thing
God is to be praised for answered prayer verse 17- 20
The LORD is righteous in all HIS ways – and holy in all HIS works
the LORD is nigh to all them that call upon HIM
to all that call upon HIM in truth
HE will fulfill the desire of them that fear HIM
HE also will hear their cry – and will save them
The LORD preserves all them that love HIM
BUT all the wicked will HE destroy
God is to be praised personally verse 21
My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD
and let all flesh bless HIS holy name for ever and ever
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 I will extol YOU, my God, O king; and I will bless YOUR name forever and ever. (7311 “extol” [ruwm] means to be high above, exalted, to reach high, to praise, glorify, or honor, to be lifted up, or let triumph.)
DEVOTION: King David wanted to life the LORD higher than any other king. HE wanted it for himself and for the children of Israel to lift the LORD up in their times of worship.
We should have the same desire today. We should want the LORD to receive all the glory in all of our worship services. It should not be the pastor or the singers that receive all the glory but the LORD.
Too often we want a worship service to be all about us and what entertains us rather than what it does to the LORD. It is sad that we need to be entertained in a worship service when the one who should be foremost in our minds should be the LORD and HIS praise and glory.
David understood what genuine worship was all about. It was about making sure that he and his people gave all glory to the LORD and in the worship service make sure that the LORD was the who was foremost in the minds of those present.
In David’s time it was the children of Israel and in our time it is the body of believers who are attending a worship service to praise the LORD alone. If our eyes are not on the LORD during our worship services then we are worshiping the wrong person or group of people.
We need to leave our worship services just excited about the great God that we serve. This should make us want to tell others about HIM and HIS salvation that is available to all who will commit to HIM
CHALLENGE: When you are in church this Sunday make sure that you are lifting the LORD high in your time of worship. Remember all our true blessings come from HIM!
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. (369 “un” [ayin] means never, no, none, nought or without. / 2714 “searchable” [cheqer] means investigate, deliberation, inquire, deep places in the ocean, or find.
DEVOTION: Two Hebrew words are used to make this word. We find that when we are concerned about the greatness of God that it is not able to be investigated. It is too hard to be inquired about. It is too deep for individuals to find. The true greatness of God is never find in our human understanding.
David is praising the LORD with every part of his being during every day that he is alive. He wants other generations to hear about what HE has done in the past. He has a desire that each new generation with find things to praise HIM for in their lives. However, he understands that they will not be able to understand all that the LORD has done for them.
Each generation has the responsibility to pass on all of the great things that the LORD has done for them, so that, the next generation is looking for the LORD’S blessings in their life.
We need to realize that we are blessed. We need to be praising the LORD for all HIS blessings. If we start listing the blessings that the LORD has given us today, the list would be long.
The problem is that we take so many things for granted. We take our physical attributes for granted. We take our possessions for granted. We take our family for granted. We take our friends for granted. We take our ability to worship the LORD in this country without persecution for granted. The list could go on and on.
In many countries they don’t have any of these things. They might have a desire for some of the blessings we have but they might never truly have them in their lifetime.
Are we passing on our list of blessings to the next generation? Do they understand that they are blessed? Or do they take everything for granted like we seem to? We have to change their thinking but first we have to change ours!!!
CHALLENGE: We should be searching for the greatness of God in our life. When we finally understand some of the blessings, we need to share it with our family and friends.
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: 4 “One generation shall praise YOUR works to another, and shall declare YOUR mighty acts.” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982). (Works – 4639 מַעֲשֶׂה [maʿaseh /mah·as·eh/] n m. From 6213; TWOT 1708a; GK 5126; 235 occurrences; AV translates as “work” 189 times, “needlework + 7551” five times, “acts” four times, “labour” four times, “doing” four times, “art” three times, “deed” three times, and translated miscellaneously 23 times. 1 deed, work. 1A deed, thing done, act. 1B work, labour. 1C business, pursuit. 1D undertaking, enterprise. 1E achievement. 1F deeds, works (of deliverance and judgment). 1G work, thing made. 1H work (of God). 1I product. James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2001).
DEVOTION: History can be so fascinating and a stark reminder of God’s presence and power in our lives.
In Psalm 145 David praised the Lord for His mighty acts which are told from one generation to another, for His gracious provision of an everlasting kingdom, and for the manner in which He responds to those who love Him. Recently I was with some elderly saints and they were recounting the works and ways of God through their life experiences. At times the laughter and joy of recalling explicit memories of God’s hand in their lives. Other times were solemn as questions were asked that will not be answered until Jesus answers them personally. This reminded me that from generation to generation people will tell of God’s kingdom … might … mighty acts, and how His kingdom … endures through all generations (cf. Dan. 4:3, 34). Regardless of your age listen again to a saint of God as they recount His workings and be encouraged as the psalmist is to praise the Lord!
CHALLENGE: God works in awesome ways for His people. When an older saint is telling a story of God’s work listen and learn of His ways! It will come in handy for you one day! (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 8 The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion, slow to anger, and of great mercy. (7349 “compassion” [rachuwm] means merciful, favorable, or implying a forgiving relationship)
DEVOTION: This psalm praises the LORD for many of HIS attributes. The list is long but good. It states that the LORD treats HIS followers will with HIS attributes. HIS attributes are HIS goodness, HIS graciousness, HIS mercy, HIS ability to be slow to anger, and HIS righteousness.
We don’t have these characteristics on a consistent basis. We tend to be fickle. One day we will manifest one of these characteristics to others but then the next day we will not. The LORD is consistent in the manifestation of HIS attributes.
One statement in the Psalm is that HE is “good to all.” Everyone who is looking sees that goodness of God. HE sends rain on the just and on the unjust. HE allows the just and the unjust to witness all of HIS creative works. HE provides for the just and unjust. HE informs those who reject HIM that they are without excuse when they stand before HIS Great White Throne and HE opens the books and shows them that they have been given privileges and have rejected what they saw and heard.
It is because of HIS expressions of love toward HIS people that they have a responsibility to praise HIS name and HIS actions toward them. We know that grace is giving us something we don’t deserve. We know that this word means “merciful” and that implies not giving us what we do deserve.
We understand that this is talking about spiritual benefits. The spiritual benefit that mercy gives us is eternity in heaven as opposed to eternity in hell or the lake of fire. We deserve hell but the LORD gives us heaven because of the blood of Christ that is sprinkled on all those who accept HIS gift of salvation.
How do we accept – by asking the LORD to forgive us of our sins and turn from our sin and acknowledge Christ paid the full price for our salvation on the Cross. There is no other way to enter heaven except through the blood of Jesus Christ.
Our God is gracious but HE is also just. The choice is ours and it affects our eternal state. Share your testimony with others. The psalmist concludes this psalm with a testimony. He is going to praise the LORD. He is going to bless HIS name every day. What a wonderful God we have available to us!!!
CHALLENGE: We have the privilege of being able to “call” on the name of the LORD each day and HE will answer and provide for all our needs. Share with others some of the provisions of the LORD this week.)
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Extol God verse 1
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
The LORD is nigh unto all them that call verse 18, 19
Call on HIM in truth
Cry
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Extol verse 1
Bless verse 1, 10, 21
Praise verse 2- 4, 21
Speak verse 5- 6, 11
Sing of righteousness of God verse 7
Praise verse 10
Eyes of all wait on the LORD verse 15
Call verse 18
Fear verse 19
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign) verse 1
King verse 1
Great is the LORD verse 3, 6
HIS greatness is unsearchable verse 3
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 3, 8- 10, 14, 17, 18,20, 21 Mighty acts verse 3, 4, 6, 12
Majesty verse 5, 12
Wondrous works verse 5
Terrible acts (awe-inspiring deeds) verse 6
Goodness of God verse 7
Righteous verse 7, 17
Gracious verse 8
Full of compassion verse 8
Slow to anger verse 8
Great mercy verse 8, 9
Good verse 9
Tender mercies are over all HIS works verse 9
HIS works shall praise HIM verse 10
Glory of HIS kingdom verse 11, 13
Power verse 11
Everlasting kingdom verse 13
Dominion endures throughout all generations verse 13
Uphold all that fall verse 14
Raises up those that be bowed down verse 14
Provides meat in due season verse 15
Satisfies the desire of every living thing verse 16
Holy in all HIS works verse 17, 21
Fulfils the desire of them that fear HIM verse 19
Hears cry of those that need HIM verse 19
Holy name verse 20
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Son of men verse 12
All flesh verse 21
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Wicked verse 20
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Bless verse 1, 2, 10
Praise verse 2- 4, 10, 21
Witness verse 3, 5- 7, 11
One generation will praise works to another verse 4
Mercy verse 8
Saints bless the LORD verse 10- 12
Speak of the glory of HIS kingdom verse 11
Talk of HIS power verse 11
Upholder by the LORD verse 14
Wait on the LORD verse 15
Provision verse 15
Satisfied by the LORD verse 16
Prayer verse 18, 19
Truth verse 18
Desire fulfilled verse 19
Fear of the LORD verse 19
Deliverance verse 19
Preserve verse 20
Love the LORD verse 20
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
David – writer of this Psalm Prelude – verse 21
He will extol the LORD
He will bless HIS name forever
Every day will HE bless the LORD
My mouth shall speak praise to LORD
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Kingdom is an everlasting kingdom verse 13
Dominion endures throughout all generations verse 13
Wicked will HE destroy verse 20
All flesh shall bless HIS name for ever and ever verse 21
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QUOTES regarding passage
His royal love extends to the whole domain of his rule, including his creation. His love evidences itself in his acts of restoration (v. 14). He restores those who are dependent on him (“all who are bowed down”; see 146:8; Isa 58:5). His royal love also evidences itself in acts of provision (vv. 15–16). He royally satisfies the needs of every living creature (cf. 104:27–28) as the master of a house opens his hand to all who are dependent on him (cf. Matt 6:26). The creatures are satiated with his provisions. (VanGemeren, W. A. (1991). Psalms. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (Vol. 5, p. 863). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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145:13b–16. David then instructed the congregation on the Lord’s grace and mercy to man. He is faithful to all His promises, He uplifts those who fall, He provides food for all (cf. 111:5; 132:15; 136:25; 146:7), and He satisfies their desires (cf. 145:19). These are the characteristics of the One whose dominion is everlasting (v. 13), which is why He is called faithful. (Ross, A. P. (1985). Psalms. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 896). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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Our great God is not an “absentee landlord” who collects rent but never repairs the roof. He knows our every need and He is there to help those who call on Him—those who fall, those carrying back-breaking burdens, those who hunger, and certainly those who want to be saved from their sins (Acts 2:21). We toil for our daily bread, but all God has to do is open His hand when He hears our cries and meet whatever needs we have. When He supplies one need, we must praise Him, and we must praise Him when He supplies the next need! “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7, nkjv). (See 104:27–28 and Matt. 6:26.) (Wiersbe, W. W. (2004). Be exultant (1st ed., p. 212). Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications Ministries.)
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145:14–16 The emphasis is on God’s common grace to all of humanity (cf. Mt 5:45; Lk 6:35; Ac 14:17; 17:25). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ps 145:14–16). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers)
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Ver. 14. The Lord upholdeth all that fall, &c.] Not all that fell in Adam, as all mankind did; nor all that fall into sin, as every man does; and therefore not those that fall into hell: but this is to be understood of the subjects of Christ’s kingdom, of which the psalmist is speaking; who does that which no mortal king can do, as Aben Ezra observes: another king raises up one, and depresses another; supports one, and lets another fall: but the Lord upholds all his people and subjects with the right hand of his righteousness; though they are liable to fall into sin, and in many instances do fall, and into various temptations and afflictions; yet he sustains and upholds them, that they shall not fall finally and totally by sin, nor be overwhelmed and crushed by their heavy afflictions. Or, all that are falling; he either upholds and keeps them that they shall not fall, at least so as to perish; or he holds them by his right hand when they are fallen, and raises them up again; and bears them up under all their exercises, so that they are not utterly cast down and destroyed, Psal. 37:24. And raiseth up all those that be bowed down; with a body of sin, under which they groan, being burdened, and which presses them sore; with Satan’s temptations, like the woman in the Gospel, bound together by him; and with various troubles and afflictions; but the Lord raises and bears them up under all, and comforts and refreshes them. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 4, p. 309). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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14.“The Lord upholdelh all that fall.” Read this verse in connection with the preceding and admire the unexpected contrast: he who reigns in glorious majesty, yet condescends to lift up and hold up those who are apt to fall. The form of the verb shows that he is always doing this; he is Jehovah upholding. His choice of the fallen, and the falling, as the subjects of his gracious help is specially to be noted. The fallen of our race, especially fallen women, are shunned by us, and it is peculiar tenderness on the Lord’s part that such he looks upon, even those who are at once the chief of sinners and the least regarded of mankind. The falling ones among us are too apt to be pushed down by the strong: their timidity and dependence make them the victims of the proud and domineering. To them also the Lord gives his upholding help. The Lord loves to reverse things,—he puts down the lofty, and lifts up the lowly.
“And raiseth up alt those that be bowed down.” Another deed of condescension. Many are despondent, and cannot lift up their heads in courage, or their hearts with comfort; but these he cheers. Some are bent with their daily load, and these he strengthens. Jesus loosed a daughter of Abraham whom Satan had so bound that she was bowed down, and could by no means lift up herself. In this he proved himself to be the true Son of the Highest. Think of the Infinite bowing to lift up the bowed, and stooping to be leaned upon by those who are ready to fall. The two “alls” should not be overlooked: the Lord has a kindly heart towards the whole company of the afflicted. (Spurgeon, C. H. (n.d.). The treasury of David: Psalms 120-150 (Vol. 6, pp. 380–381). London; Edinburgh; New York: Marshall Brothers.)
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This psalm is an acrostic in which each verse begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet with the exception of the nun in the MT (v. 13b). The NIV accepts the textual evidence from Qumran and several ancient versions, according to which v. 13b has been accidentally omitted from the Hebrew text but may be reconstructed from these other witnesses.
The motif of the psalm is the praise of the Great King. The attributes and acts of God form the theme of this hymn. The poet was highly skilled as the acrostic form was no hindrance to the hymnic genre. All elements blend together well into an aesthetic whole (see Adele Berlin, “The Rhetoric of Psalm 145,” in Biblical and Related Studies Presented to Samuel Iwry edd. Ann Kort and Scott Morschauer [Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 1985], pp. 17–22). VanGemeren, W. A. (1991). (Psalms. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (Vol. 5, p. 860). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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In Psalm 145 David praised the Lord for His mighty acts which are told from one generation to another, for His gracious provision of an everlasting kingdom, and for the manner in which He responds to those who love Him. (Ross, A. P. (1985). Psalms. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, pp. 895–896). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books)
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145:1–21 David penned this most exquisite conclusion to his 73 psalms in the Psalter. Here, the king of Israel extols and celebrates the King of Eternity for who He is, what He has done, and what He has promised. Not only rich in content, this psalm also duplicates a majestic acrostic design using the 22 letters of the Heb. alphabet. Psalm 145 begins the great crescendo of praise that completes the psalter and might be called “The Final Hallel” (Pss 145–150).
…. 145:20 the wicked … destroy. The wicked await an eternity of living forever, away from the presence of God in the lake of fire (cf. 2Th 1:9; Rev 20:11–15). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ps 145:1–21). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
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FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
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After Jesus is crucified, Joseph of Arimathea buried Him in Joseph’s own tomb.
INSIGHT
Most of us have a highly developed sense of justice. We want things to be fair, and we are incensed when they are not. From simple things like people cutting in line ahead of us to major things like prejudice and bigotry, we are angered when we see or experience injustice.
With that in mind, review what happens to Jesus. Though He is totally righteous and without sin, religious bigots manufacture charges against Him and take Him to a legal jellyfish who doesn’t have the courage to execute justice. Then He is beaten, mocked, and crucified. Doesn’t that inflame your sense of justice? He has the power to obliterate those who harm Him; yet He willingly endures it for us. (Quiet Walk)
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PREACHING ABOUT THE CROSS OF CHRIST
But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Galatians 6:14 The preaching of the cross of Christ was the very center and heart of the message of the apostles, and there is nothing I know of that is more important than that every one of us should realize that this is still the heart and the center of the Christian message. In order to emphasize that, let me put it negatively first. What is the message of the Christian gospel and of the Christian church? Now at the risk of being misunderstood I will put it like this: It is not primarily the teaching of our Lord. I say that, of course, because there are so many today who think that this is Christianity. They say, “What we need is Jesus’ teaching. He is the greatest religious genius of all times. He is above all philosophers. Let us have a look at His teaching, at the Sermon on the Mount and so on. That is what we want. What the world needs today,” they say, “is a dose of the Sermon on the Mount—a dose of His ethical teaching. We must preach this to people and teach them how to live.”
But according to the apostle Paul, this is not their first need. And I will go further. If you only preach the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ, not only do you not solve the problem of mankind, but in a sense you aggravate it. You are preaching nothing but utter condemnation, because nobody can ever carry it out. So they did not preach His teaching. Paul does not say, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the Sermon on the Mount” or “God forbid that I should glory save in the ethical teaching of Jesus.” He does not say that. It was not the teaching of Christ, nor the example of Christ either. What they preached was His death on the cross and the meaning of that event. A Thought to Ponder The preaching of the cross of Christ was the very center and heart of the message of the apostles. (From The Cross, pp. 18-21, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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The reality is that it cannot. This is a moment of decision, and every evangelical believer, congregation, denomination, and institution will have to answer. There will be no place to hide. The forces driving this revolution in morality will not allow evasion or equivocation. Every pastor, every church, and every Christian organization will soon be forced to declare an allegiance to the Scriptures and to the Bible’s teachings on marriage and sexual morality, or to affirm loyalty to the sexual revolution. That revolution did not start with same-sex marriage, and it will not end there. But marriage is the most urgent issue of the day, and the moment of decision has arrived. (Dr. Albert Mohler)
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After the arrest of thirteen Christians in the western part of Darfur, a state-appointed committee has demanded that a church in Omdurman turn over its properties.
According to Christian News, Sudanese security arrested thirteen Christians on Saturday from a house they had gathered at. Three people have been released so far, but it’s unclear what the charges are for the others.
Church leader Tajaldin Idriss Yousif was arrested along with church members: Alfadil Ismail Alnil, Ahmed Mohammed Hassan, Neseraldin Osman, Shemen Ahmed Shemen and Abubaker Biri.
Law allows the National Intelligence and Security Services to hold people in detention for up to four and a half months before they can be released or charged.
“We are worried because their whereabouts are still unknown,” said one source. “The Christians gathered as one body of Christ from different denominations.”
Meanwhile, another church in Sudan is being forced to hand over its land.
“The Omdurman police summoned the church’s leader on Monday [8 October] and ordered him to hand over leadership of the congregation to a rival committee,” a local source told World Watch Monitor.
“They want the congregation to vacate their compound.”
Other churches are also battling with the government over ownership of its properties. Many have faced fines and even closure.
After the secession of South Sudan in 2011, Sudan president Omar al-Bashir promised he would tighten sharia laws and recognize only Islamic culture and the Arabic language. (Christian Headlines by Amanda Casanova)
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We are to walk in love just as Christ did.
INSIGHT
The wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience (the unsaved). Therefore, we are not to partake of their deeds. For we were formerly darkness, but now we are light in the Lord. If this is so, do you as a Christian need to alter any of your present habits? What about your television viewing habits? If it is disgraceful even to speak of the things that are done by the children of darkness, how much more disgraceful is it to sit in our living rooms and watch it? What about movies, books, magazines, or conversations with friends? Do your habits reflect the light of God? (Quiet Walk)
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A MIGHTY BATTLE
He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
1 John 3:8
We see that our Lord did not come into the world only to teach. He did do that, and He gave incomparable teaching. We must realize what he came primarily to do. “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested,” not that He might teach us, not that He might give us a glorious example to follow, not that He might give us some transcendent idea that would illuminate our minds and thrill us. Not at all! He came, He was manifested, He appeared that He might “destroy the works of the devil.”
We see that sin is unrighteous, that it is a transgression of the law, and that sin means we are violating God’s holy will for us and God’s holy purpose with respect to us. But this is the other part: “To continue in a life of sin and evil,” says John in essence, “is just to identify yourself at once with the devil and his ways and with everything that belongs to him.” And it is this that is emphasized in this verse.
Our Lord came into this world to wage a great fight; He entered into a mighty battle. The way in which He was victorious in this fight is celebrated especially on Easter Day. This is the day that reminds us of the fact of Christ’s victory. It is not a day that reminds us of certain principles in life. You often hear people thank God for this whole “principle of resurrection,” how the flowers begin to appear, and how the trees and life come into being in the Spring. Now, that has nothing to do with this blessed message of the resurrection. We are concerned about a fact, not a principle of nature; and the fact is that in the resurrection our Lord ultimately established His conquest over the devil.
A Thought to Ponder: Our Lord came into this world to wage a great fight. (From Children of God, pp. 60-61, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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There is No “I” in Prayer: Combating Individualism in Our Prayers
Over the past several decades I have noticed that many Christians tend to begin their prayers by presenting their needs. Of course, in some sense, I understand why we naturally turn to petition almost immediately upon entering into prayer. We tend to begin with petitions because prayer reminds us of our deep need for God to sanctify us in our circumstances and save us from our trials. Additionally, our circumstances and trials are often the very thing that drives us to pray in the first place. Thus the tyranny of the urgent has a remarkable way of consuming our intellectual life and our thought patterns. As a result, our prayers, from beginning to end, are often marked by petition.But the Lord’s Prayer begins in a very different place. Petitions certainly are a part (a major part, in fact) of the Lord’s Prayer, but Jesus does not begin with requests. He begins, instead, by identifying the character of the God to whom he prays while at the same time challenging our individualism in prayer. Jesus does all of this in the first two words, “Our Father.”
The word “our,” at first glance, seems like an insignificant little pronoun. But Jesus is making a tremendously powerful theological point by beginning his prayer with the word “our.” Jesus is reminding us that when we enter into a relationship with God we enter into a relationship with his people. When we are saved by Christ, we are saved into his body, the church. In fact, this emphasis on our place in the corporate identity of the church is reiterated throughout the prayer. One way to notice this emphasis is simply to read through the prayer and stress each personal pronoun:
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive usour debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
Do you notice what is stunningly absent? There is no first-person singular pronoun in the entire prayer! Jesus did not teach us to pray, “My father who is heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give me this day my daily bread and forgive me my debts as Ialso have forgiven my debtors. And lead me not into temptation but deliver mefrom evil.” The point is not to deny our own sins or our own needs, but never to leave ourselves there.
One of the besetting sins of evangelicalism is our obsession with individualism. This obsession with individualism chronically besets us as evangelicals. The first-person singular pronoun reigns in our thinking. We tend to think about nearly everything (including the truths of God’s Word) only as they relate to me. This is why when Jesus teaches his disciples to pray, he emphasizes from the very outset that we are part of a corporate people called the church. God is not merely “my Father.” He is “our Father”—the Father of my brothers and sisters in the faith with whom I identify and with whom I pray.
If we are honest, even many of our prayer meetings fail to take into account Jesus’ emphasis on the corporate character of prayer. Yet we must never lose sight of the fact that even when we pray by ourselves, we must pray with an eye toward and with love for Christ’s church. We must remember the pattern of our Lord’s speech in the model prayer and recall not only the words he used, but the words he didn’t use. The first-person singular (I, me, my, mine) is completely absent from the Lord’s Prayer. Evidently, prayer should not center on you or me.
The problem of overemphasizing ourselves in our prayers reminds me of G. K. Chesterton’s famous answer to a question put forth by a major London newspaper, “What is the problem with the world?” This question was sent to many public intellectuals in Victorian England, many of whom sent back long essays delineating the complexities of everything wrong with the world. Chesterton, however, responded with a simple handwritten note that read, “I am. Sincerely yours, Chesterton.”
What is the biggest problem with our prayers? Perhaps the most fundamental answer mirrors Chesterton’s: “I am.” One of our greatest problems and deficiencies in prayer is that we begin with our own concerns and our own petitions without regard for our brothers and sisters. Many of us falter in prayer because we begin with the wrong word: “I” instead of “our.” Jesus reminds us that we are part of a family, even when we pray. Thus the first word of Jesus model prayer is the word “our.” We are in this together.
To be a Christian is to be a part of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. By God’s grace we are incorporated into the body of Christ so that our most fundamental spiritual identity is not an “I” but a “we.” This runs against the grain of our fallen state. This also runs against the grain of American individualism—an individualism that has seeped into many sections of evangelicalism. But we must be normed by Scripture. Jesus teaches us to drop the “I’ and start with “our.” (by Albert Mohler)
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The Workmanship of God
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)
The Greek noun poiēma (“workmanship”) is only used twice in the New Testament, which is noteworthy given that at least eight different noun options existed in this particular semantic domain that Paul could have used. In contrast, the verb from which it is derived (poieō, to do or to make) is quite common and used 576 times in the New Testament. Significantly, ancient pagan Greek literature typically used poiēma to refer to works of divine creation, which Paul has appropriated for two of his epistles to refer to the true Creator.
In this amazing workmanship of salvation, we literally become new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17), created for good works that God prepared beforehand in order “that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). One of these scripturally mandated works is to “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15).
This mandate to be prepared to share our faith in the midst of an increasingly evil world leads us to the second place where God’s workmanship (poiēma) is proclaimed. Romans 1:20 boldly points out the obvious handiwork of God: “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made [poiēma, handiwork].”
Our mighty Creator God, the Lord Jesus Christ, has done the groundwork for us in creation and redemption, and it’s our responsibility to tear down the vain imaginations of evolution and point to His workmanship. (JPT, The Institute for Creation Research)