In Grace and Wisdom: Recent Episodes
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Devotionals from the Word of God, focused on the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Written by Sebastian Winkler.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB (New American Standard Bible) Copyright 1995. by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.
Scripture quotations from The Authorized (King James) Version. Rights in the Authorized Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Reproduced by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press
It is in Christ that we are complete, if as men and women we have been created to know and worship our Maker, then it is only in Christ that we can know him.
For them, as for us today, there was only one way to avoid being victims of those who tried to deceive them with persuasive reasoning, only one way to remain firm in the Truth. And it was (and is) to be grounded, rooted and affirmed in the One who is the Eternal Immovable Rock!
The Gospel is so glorious, Christ is so precious, that Paul rejoices at being considered worthy of suffering, if it is for this to be preached.
He is God, God bringing Himself close to us, making Himself visible. He is the origin, the cause, and the reason behind EVERYTHING, absolutely everything. He is above all, Eternal, and Majestic.
Based on the information he received from Epaphras, Paul prays in this way for the Colossians, knowing that they run risks, surrounded by worldviews that are contrary to the true faith.
At the beginning of his letter, the apostle Paul mentions three virtues that should adorn the life of believers: Faith, Love, and Hope.
From prison, Paul sends this letter to the church in a small, but prosperous city in Asia called Colossae.
The person who delivers the letter is one of the leaders of the congregation: Epaphras. The believers in Colossae were surrounded by heresy and gnostic philosophy, as were many other churches during that time.
Paul mentions the brethren in Caesar’s household, telling us that even in the imperial palace, the light of the Gospel had arrived and there were faithful Christians there.
The interesting matter here is how Paul draws attention to the question: who has been blessed by this gesture? Himself, obviously, because he has seen his needs supplied, but those who are even more blessed are those who have given, because this gesture is an agreeable offering to the Lord.
Paul, in prison and financial want, receives help from the church in Philippi, and he rejoices for this, but he also takes the opportunity to remind them (and us) that the circumstances are precisely that: circumstances. If our lives depend on the circumstances, we will always be adrift in a sea of instability. But like Paul, we can say that we can do all things because Christ is our strength.
May our thoughts always be focused upon the greatest glory of God. Let us meditate on Him, His love, His goodness, His mercy. May we allow our minds to be filled with His Word and His Truth, that His light may dispel our darkness.
What is the source of our joy, of our view of life? Where do we place our confidence and hope? Paul encourages us here to leave all our worries, our fears, our struggles with the One who has already won, in Jesus, the Lamb of God.
One of the most evident examples of spiritual maturity is how we handle our relationships, especially the conflicts. The Christian can go before his brother in Christ and recognize his own faults, ask for forgiveness, and be sincere about what he feels. Both people involved can mutually resolve the issue, always remembering that God has forgiven us much, and that it is His Holy Spirit at work in our lives.
When Paul says, “look to me and imitate those who live as I do,” he is teaching us to look to Jesus… Our citizenship is from heaven, our mind is heavenly (conformed to God’s Word). We don’t live like those who trust in their own righteousness, like those who boast in completing human rituals and commandments (that point to the outward appearance, not the heart)… Living like that means rejecting the cross.
One of the greatest dangers of the Christian faith is falling into “legalism.”
It is very simple to think that Christianity is only a series of rules for how to live; a classification of what pleases God and what does not.
How can we be lights? By working out our salvation (understanding here the process of sanctification that God is doing in us) with the greatest seriousness and commitment (fear and trembling)
Speaking of putting others above ourselves, Paul offers us one of the most beautiful descriptions of who Jesus is and what He did.
The One who created everything became a servant, a slave to be more exact. He came to serve us, and He left us an example of humility and obedience, an example of wanting to do what pleases the Father.
Learning to love each person, remembering how much God has forgiven us, and the mercy He has poured out over our lives.
In our circle, occasionally we can be the object of mocking, of contempt, of distancing. May these things, and the persecution, when it happens to us, find us strong and joyful in the opportunity to participate in Christ’s suffering… God bless you!
What is the reason that he has not died yet? He has yet to continue preaching and proclaiming the Gospel that completely transformed his life.
“I pray for you always,” he tells them, “because I love you and because it brings me joy to see how you are faithful to the Gospel and show Christ through your lives.”
Even while imprisoned, Paul trusts that the LORD would soon free him, and he encourages the church in Philippi to continue growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, to continue proclaiming the Gospel, to care for one another, and to seek the unity of the body of Christ.
We are very grateful that you listen to our podcast, very soon we will be starting a new series of devotionals based on Paul's letter to the Philippians. This letter from the apostle Paul, addressed to the church in Philippi, is very special.
The disciples are full of joy. The part of God’s plan to fill the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been made known. How could we not be happy? How could we not praise God for this?
The surprise continues, but fear becomes joy. It really is Him. He even eats with them.
This encounter with Jesus leaves such a profound mark on those who are there that it will lead them to serve the Risen One until the day of their own death.
First of all, it is God who opens the eyes of the disciples so that they can see and understand the wonder of what is before their eyes. Jesus opened their eyes to the Scriptures. He showed them how He is revealed through the Bible. And then, He allows them to recognize Him.
When they reach the tomb, the stone that covered the entrance had been moved, and the body of the Lord was not there. What happened?
Jesus has been killed. Unjustly accused. Who would want to identify with him? Who would want to stay at His side? It is a dangerous moment and one of great uncertainty.
Jesus dies. And Luke shows us a dramatic, tense scene. The significance and greatness of this moment cannot be described with human words. The cross is God Himself giving His Son as a sacrifice for us. Meditate on this. It's amazing! We are speechless before such love, before such greatness!
The other wrongdoer rebukes him. “What are you saying? Are you not afraid of God? We are guilty, but he is innocent.” He somehow recognizes his evil and that he is next to the One who does not deserve to die. On that cross, a few minutes from his death, God is working in his heart, which makes him look at Jesus with other eyes, and ask,“Lord, remember me in your kingdom.”
Jesus has given us a wonderful example of forgiveness and love. Let us imitate Him. But above all, don’t forget to be surprised by the depth of Christ’s love for us. While He was rejected and mocked, He prayed… “Forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing
Jesus is led to the cross, to death. The Jewish leaders have fulfilled their goal. But as I read this passage I am amazed to see how Jesus affects the lives of those who share, in some way, his journey to the cross.
The two rulers who appear on the scene do not want to be responsible for the death of Jesus (his innocence and authority are evident). The truth, however, is that no one can remain indifferent to Jesus.
Herod and Pilate were distanced, but end up being friends. Pilate does not want to condemn Jesus. His innocence is so obvious, even to this evil man. But for him, the most important thing is to maintain his status.
These men are blind. Christ, the Truth itself, has walked among them, but their hearts are so hardened that they can’t accept it.
They ask Jesus if He is the Christ. Do they really want to know?
There was a time when I read this scene, and my heart was outraged by the evil of those who humiliate Jesus. But that’s not the important thing. Look at him. Look at his love, poured out overwhelmingly. There is no greater beauty than that, there is no greater love. Behold His suffering, His tenderness, His determination… and may your heart be filled with worship and gratitude in the face of such overwhelming grace.
Those who have believed in Christ have been delivered from guilt and have received forgiveness from our sin, yet the work of the Lord is still being done in our lives. At some point we will fail. If we think that there is no sin in us we are deceiving ourselves (1 John 1:8) You should know this: you are going to fail.
Jesus knows that this hour of darkness is necessary, because He has come to bring light. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not prevail against it.
Luke tells us, retires to pray, to the Mount of Olives, as usual. The Lord’s natural response to this moment is not a final resource, it is what has sustained Him all this time. Prayer, a manifestation of Jesus’ dependence on the Father, is habitual, natural.
Identifying yourself with Jesus implies that at some point you will be persecuted, rejected, and slandered. At some point everyone will turn their backs on you, and you have to be prepared for when that happens.
But just as we know that Peter denied the Lord, we know that afterwards he would dedicate the rest of his days to serving Jesus and proclaiming His Gospel, even to the point that, according to tradition, Peter would die because of Christ.
In the kingdom of God, says the Lord, we do not operate within the parameters of the world. In my Kingdom, honor, recognition or position are not what is important. Among Jesus’ disciples, the important thing is to imitate the Master; the important thing is to serve.
This is my body, which is given for you…" His sacrifice, for our fault; his death, for our life; his holiness, for our sin. "The New Covenant in My Blood..."
There is no other way in which men receive forgiveness. A sacrifice is necessary. Sin must be judged. Jesus is that sacrifice. He died, so that we can have life.
They want to get rid of Jesus, but they have no desire to arrest him in front of everyone. Jerusalem is full of people during this time, so they make use of their evil nature and cunning, and it is Judas who lends himself to their game.
The greatest danger is not going through afflictions, but believing ourselves children of God until He comes and does not recognize us as His. The children of the Lord love God above all else.
His words will not pass away: God is faithful. That is His nature. His plans do not depend at all on our reaction or attitude. He will do what He decided to do. And that's our security and trust. Everything will happen, everything is fallible, except Jesus.
What about us? When we see the Son of Man coming with power and glory it will be time to raise our heads and rise up, for it will be the time of our redemption.
If you are arrested and brought before the authorities for my sake… Excellent! It is an opportunity to bear witness to the Gospel! The Spirit will be with you and will tell you what you should say!
What is the purpose for which the Lord proclaims these things? So that we may be confident that even in the midst of a seemingly confused and chaotic world, God is in control. Nothing happens outside of His will.
Because the widow’s offering is given with sacrifice and effort. It is an offering that is born of love. It is an offering addressed to God. The widow does not offer to be seen; she does not offer her leftovers, but gives what she has in love. That little offering becomes enormous because the motivation of it is to honor God and not to seek the honor of people.
They are so corrupted that their eyes are blinded. It is the Messiah of God who speaks to them, but they cannot recognize it. That is the cause of Jesus’ very severe warning.
That is precisely the answer to the great question: Who is this? He is the Messiah, he is the Son of God who became man. No one else could have such authority.
Who can have authority not only over nature, disease, demons, disease, death, but also over sin? The only possible answer is the divine identity of Christ.
The question is not about the woman; it is about themselves and their belief system. The case they raise has enough complexity to confuse this Galilean carpenter, but Jesus answers with unheard-of solidity.
Jesus goes further, demonstrating again his identity as the Messiah from Heaven.
This passage is often used to explain the relationship of believers with secular authorities. We understand, in the light of Scripture, that while we live on this earth we have authorities to obey, provided that this does not mean disobeying our God, to whom our first faithfulness is due. This lesson is very valuable.
They have cast off Jesus, ignoring that He is the center of all God’s plans, so they are blind. What a tragedy it is that those who knew the Scriptures and understood better than anyone else the implications of Jesus, do not recognize Him as the Savior, but rather harden their hearts!
By what authority do you do these things? But the Lord knows that in their hearts they are not truly longing to know the truth, and he answers them with another question. Where did John's authority come from?
When Jesus expels the merchants he is doing something similar to what he did when he entered Jerusalem. Jesus is proclaiming that He expels these thieves because this is His house, because He is the Messiah of God, who has every authority to do so.
Jesus' entry into Jerusalem is the entrance of a king, and he is truly the King of Kings. With this type of arrival, Jesus is making a clear statement about who He is.
The Bible teaches us that each of us has received gifts, by the Spirit of the Lord. For what purpose? We must glorify God and build up the church. We will have to give an account of what we have done when the Lord returns.
Because of his dissatisfaction he wants to see Jesus, of whom he has heard so much. For the same reason, he enters the crowd, even exposing himself to violence (tax collectors were despised by the people, and Zacchaeus was the main one among them). It is probably curiosity that moved him, but calling him was part of God’s plans.
The first thing is the faith of this blind man. He has a need. He suffers from being blind for a long time. His blindness has made him a beggar. Therefore, when he knows that Jesus is approaching, he is certain that Jesus can heal him and change his life. And he calls, and shouts, and turns deaf ears to those who try to quiet him.
He is willing to do anything, because He loves us, and because He knows that it is the way in which sin and death will be destroyed.
Some may consider the Kingdom's demand to be high. But by the Gospel we understand that there is nothing more valuable than the Kingdom of God.
Many times we let circumstances distract us and make us lose sight of the most important thing. We are loved by the Creator of the Universe.
The Gospel shows us that we should be like the tax collector, but it is easier for us to behave like the Pharisee.
Prayer turns our hearts to God. It helps us remember who He is. God is sovereign, wise and loving. That firm truth gives us security. He is the immovable Rock.
The Kingdom of God has already been established, in the lives of those who acknowledge the Lord Jesus as King. As children of God, we are no longer subjects or slaves to sin, but have been redeemed by the Lamb, who bought us through His victory on the Cross.
These lepers were doomed to unimaginable suffering and had their lives transformed in an amazing way, but only one of them returns and gives thanks to those who have looked at him with mercy.
And what is faith? When the Bible says that the righteous live by faith, it is teaching us to put our trust in God, to live seeking His guidance and strength, and to depend on Him.
How do we cause our brother in the faith to stumble? With foolish and unnecessary words, with hypocritical attitudes, with our selfishness, seeking to always be right, with our obstinacy, with our pride… with all those attitudes we can harm our brother.
It is not your poverty or your wealth that determines your eternal destiny, but where your heart and your faith are set. We see how the rich man's heart was so attached to his possessions that he was not even able to sympathize with his brother's needs. And now he sees the fruit of his idolatry.
The Good News of grace doesn’t give us permission to sin, but instead gives us the ability to fight against sin by the power of the grace of God in our lives.
This Kingdom is a Kingdom that is not governed by human logic and religion. It is a Kingdom of grace and mercy. And one of the greatest signs of that grace and mercy is the way in which those who enter the Kingdom are cleansed of their sins and capable of a holy life.
Jesus is not praising the steward’s dishonesty, but rather his sagacity. Some understand that the steward is actually taking away an extra charge from the original price that his master had demanded from his debtors , and then he would not be doing something illegal. Regardless, the Lord draws attention to this man's sagacity in solving his dilemma.
Isn’t this story a beautiful invitation to return to the Father? Is there a more captivating image than the father who runs to receive his lost son and rejoices in such a way to see him come home?
The Gospel of the Kingdom is an invitation to come home, to return to the Father. Those who have rebelled, those who have walked away, are invited to turn back to God.
In this passage, Jesus is teaching something that the Pharisees struggle to comprehend. The Holy God, the Creator of all things, insistently and lovingly seeks out the sinners.
The Gospel helps us understand that we are all that lost sheep, that the Shepherd went out seeking us with so much determination that He went to the cross to save us. The Gospel tells us of the joy that there is in Heaven for each sheep that is found.
Let us not misinterpret it, God does not call us to despise our family, or to live as beggars, but to love Him above all. For the best way to love all other things is to love Jesus first.
Being a citizen of this Kingdom is knowing that you are now part of something greater and higher than yourself. And that’s why you must be willing to die to your personal desires and ambitions.
Paradoxically, the more we seek our own honor, to be recognized, to receive prestige, the farther we are from the essence of the Gospel.
Without a doubt, opposing God’s plans is the worst thing a person can do. No one can derail his purpose, no one can oppose his will.
The signs are not the end in themselves. The miracles, the liberations, each and every one of the wonders that they have been able to see point to Jesus and His identity.
That privilege is exclusive to Mary, by the grace of God that she undeservedly received. We too can experience a reason for bliss (and that is what Jesus’ response points too.)
Only Jesus can truly change us. Only He, the Son of God, has the power and the authority to undo the works of the enemy completely and totally.
If a human father in his limited knowledge gives his children what he thinks is good for them… How then would our Heavenly Father, who truly knows what is good for us, fail to do the same?
You are so Holy Lord; let you Kingdom come. We need You, Your glory, Your Kingdom in our lives: to know You, to love You, to worship You, to give you glory. When we pray like this, we recognize that our first and greatest need is God Himself.
Serving Jesus is a joy and a privilege, but we should always remember that He is the vine and we are the branches. Without Him, we can do nothing.
Jesus’ response is easy to understand. We love God by loving our neighbor, and our neighbor whoever is in need.
The Kingdom of God is for those who decide to look to Jesus innocently, confidently, in dependence and necessity, without malice, like children...
But Jesus reminds them that there is an even greater reason to be joyful: we are known by Him, loved by Him, and saved by Him. We know that we are His.
Jesus doesn’t make false promises; the cost of following Him is high. You should be willing to deny yourself and take up your cross.
When we understand Jesus’ mission, what He came to do for us, it produces in us grace and mercy that we can extend to those around us.
The Kingdom of God is about the greatness and beauty of the King, not the privileges of the subjects (that ultimately are gifts that we don’t deserve.)
It is a kingdom in which mercy and forgiveness are a gift that God offers us freely. It is a Kingdom that is not of this world
For this reason, there is no room in this Kingdom for the discussion of the disciples.
The Son of Man came to show His greatness in an unimaginable way. Suffering for us, giving Himself up for us, becoming a sacrifice, all because of His immense love for us.
That is the most glorious example of the greatness of God.
The Lord tells them, “Behold, I’m sending you as lambs among wolves.” Not everyone is willing to listen. Not everyone will be kind. If they reject Jesus, they will also reject His disciples.
Who was Theophilus? We have no further details about who he was, but we do know that he was a Gentile who had believed in Jesus Christ. The Gospel of Luke is dedicated to this brother of ours, but it was intended to make Jesus known to all who read it, like us today.