LifeLink Devotions for Tuesday, August 13, 2024

The Book of Philippians is an incredible book because the author, Paul, expresses multiple reasons for joy while he is suffering in prison. Each day we are discovering a new truth that helps us to be more joyful people, and today we discover the importance of having intimate friendships. Paul had a student whom he was mentoring and molding for ministry. His name was Timothy, and he brought Paul great joy. A first glance at today’s scripture passage reveals what cheered Paul up.  

Philippians 2:19-24 “I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon.”

Paul was filled with anticipation of receiving heart-warming news from the people at Philippi when Timothy returned from visiting them. But we learn something much deeper in these verses: true joy is not based on information but on intimacy.

Unfortunately, so many of us base our joy on what’s happening to us instead of Who’s working in us. However, joy is not a product of our circumstances, but rather it is the produce (the fruit) of the Holy Spirit in us. Joy is experienced to the fullest when there is intimacy of relationship with God. That intimacy will then flourish in our relationships with people, so that even when circumstances are ugly, our spirits can be filled with joy.

Look at how Paul describes his relationship with Timothy: he has no one else like him who takes a genuine concern for the people he serves. Timothy is described as a humble, compassionate, caring, loving and sacrificial servant of God and people. He has proven himself worthy of leadership because he has put the work of Jesus Christ ahead of all else. We can hear in Paul’s words the joy in his heart to have a partner in the work like Timothy.

I am challenged by three things as I consider this type of intimacy. Let me reveal the first challenge today. It starts with a question that pounds in my heart.

1. Am I being a Timothy to the people God has given me to shepherd by showing genuine concern for their welfare? I hope they see that in me, because it is my heart. I never want ministry to be a job that must be done, but rather a privilege that gets to be done.

My desire is that each of you looks at your place of service or ministry within your church in the same way. When serving becomes your obligation it is time to check your attitude and place of service. When we are using the spiritual gifts God gives it is with love and grace that we use them, not obligation. And it is with the power of the Holy Spirit that we serve so we never grow weary. As Paul says in another passage in Galatians, “let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

Intimacy with Jesus through the indwelling Holy Spirit produces joy that endures through all circumstances of life and sustains us. Let that joy flow out of you in your relationships with others.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Monday, August 12, 2024

Last Friday we looked at the first principle of finding joy in suffering as described in Philippians chapter two. This would be a good time to go back and review verses twelve through 18. I’ll wait.

Here’s principle number two – Others will experience joy when they see our lives of obedience and dedication to accomplishing God’s purpose.

Paul was glad that his dear friends in the church were people who obeyed the Word of God. They were not just hearers, but doers of what they had been taught. He compared them to stars in the universe that shine in the darkness because they were holding out the word of life. This concept of “holding out” is powerful. Paul uses the same Greek word in 1 Timothy 4:16 when he says, “Watch your life and doctrine closely.” The word means to “give attention to, hold onto, and apply with action.” The people of the church at Philippi were people who paid attention to the teaching of God’s truth, held onto it, and applied it to their actions. When Paul saw them doing that while he was with them it gave him great joy. When he heard that they were still living that way he was filled with more joy.

This kind of obedience and application of truth is possible because God is at work in us to accomplish it. Paul’s statement that we are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling can be confusing. He is not stating that we work for our salvation, but that we work to apply our salvation to how we live our lives. Paul says that God is at work in us to give us the will, or desire, to live obediently by acting according to God’s standards. This becomes one of the reasons we rejoice. Put simply, when by faith I received from God through Jesus Christ the forgiveness of my sin and the salvation of my soul, God began a work in me to cause me to want to obey Him and serve Him. He has given me a passion to fulfill His redemptive purpose. When I live according to those desires from God’s heart, I experience joy. We always get joy from doing what we want, but the joy is magnified when what we want is also what God wants. The Godly people who observe my life are also filled with joy, as Paul was when he saw the Philippian people living that way. He was filled with joy because he knew his work for Jesus Christ was not in vain, even though it had caused him pain.

That brings us to principle number three. We will also experience joy when we see others whom we have brought to Christ and discipled living obedient lives according to God’s desires and purpose for their lives. Just as Paul was overjoyed to see the people of Philippi living faithfully for Jesus, so we can be filled with joy when we see the people who came to faith through our lives and ministry following Jesus faithfully.

Ultimate joy, even in suffering, is possible when all three of these principles are true in us. Which ones, if any, are lacking from your life right now? There are many factors that may be keeping one or more of these joy-producers from working in our lives. Selfish desires stop us from serving Jesus. Fear of witnessing, lack of personal involvement with other people, and peer pressure stop us from faithfully living out the Gospel every day. Let’s carefully review our lives and renew our commitment to seeking God’s purpose in all things, and to living out God’s Word in all areas, and the joy will return.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Friday, August 9, 2024

Welcome back to our study of the book of Philippians where we discover how we can be people of joy. Let’s see what we learn from the next passage of Scripture in chapter two starting in verse 12.

“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed-not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence-continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life-in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.”

Paul was in prison and in chains.  He was convinced that his suffering would not end soon. In fact, he even states that he was facing death when he says that his life may be poured out like a drink offering. Yet he said he was glad and rejoiced with all the people in the church at Philippi. How is that possible?

I see three principles that will help us understand how joy can be experienced through suffering. Let’s look at principle number one today.

1. We will personally experience joy, even when we are suffering, when we are fulfilling the desire God has given us to accomplish His redemptive purpose.

Paul could rejoice while he was suffering in prison because he had obeyed Christ’s commission to go to Philippi and preach the Gospel. He was filled with joy because he was seeing the fruit of his ministry in the lives of others. Even though at this point in his life he was nearing death, he reflected on his life and saw it all as a drink offering being poured out on the sacrifices and service that were coming from the people of the church.

I can attest to the feeling of joy that comes when I see the people of the church accomplishing the ministry of the Gospel because they have faithfully responded to the commission of Jesus Christ on their lives. People serving in all capacities, with the same level of love for Jesus and passion to serve the Lord. It overwhelms me with the joy of the Lord when this is the attitude and activity of the church. The joy of it all sustains me, as it did Paul, even when there is suffering.

So, from principle number one we have two challenges. First, are we faithfully serving Jesus in love by passionately pursuing people with the Gospel? And second, are we filled with joy that sustains us through tough times because we know the fruit of our labors is living on in the lives of others?

Take some time today to contemplate three things. First, the level of love you have Jesus. Second, the desire to serve Jesus that comes from His love. And third, the level of joy you have because you are acting on the desire to serve Jesus.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, August 8, 2024

Anyone who has ever been involved in a team competition or been a fan of a team can relate to what Paul says today about joy.

Philippians 2:1-4 “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

There is nothing that destroys the joy of a team faster than dissension caused by the self-serving attitudes and actions of a team member. In the same regard, there is nothing that brings greater fulfillment of joy than to see a group of people from various backgrounds and experiences with differing personalities and passions coming together to accomplish a common goal for the good of all.

I have been part of such a team. Over the years I have joined various other men to form a team to play in fundraising golf tournaments for Christian ministries. On the surface it appears that we are competing against each of the other four member teams. But that would be an incorrect evaluation of the day. The goal is to raise money for Gospel ministry to people. The primary focus of the event is to see how much money we can contribute to see more people come to Christ. When the contributions of each member of the team are recognized and valued, no matter how small, heroes are eliminated, and joy is made complete. There is great joy at the end of the day  because it didn’t come down to one person’s swing or score, but because the team had come together in unity and reached the goal.

It would be very easy at such events to focus on the wrong things. It would be easy to be recognized as the hero for making two 20-foot putts in a row to save par and having team members fall on their knees in front of me in an act of homage. But that would have been to accept what was not rightfully mine, for other team members got us to the position where those putts could be made. Everyone’s contribution on our team led to us winning the championship that day, but the honor of winning was not the completion of the joy for the day. If it was, then it was only our joy at the expense of all of those who did not win. No, the real joy was in seeing all the golfers and volunteers come together and accomplish a common goal of advancing the cause of Christ.

That’s what Paul refers to in today’s Scripture. We must not get so enamored by the small accomplishments of the individual that we fail to see the bigger accomplishment of the whole team. If there is one thing I hate about professional sports more than anything else it is when an athlete draws attention to himself after doing something great. The game is not over. The team has not accomplished its goal. The athlete has done only what they are being paid to do. But still, they selfishly seek the approval and praise of people.

May this attitude never enter the church of Jesus Christ. May individual churches never boast about their accomplishments until all churches accomplish together the goal of reaching the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. May individuals in our churches never boast about anything accept what the whole body is doing. May we truly have the attitude of Jesus, who humbled Himself and became a servant to others for their good, and as a result has been exalted to the highest position of joy. Make my joy complete by being those kind of people.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Wednesday, August 7, 2024

True joy is possible when we see life from God’s perspective, and the best place to get that view is in prayer. Here are the words of the Apostle Paul in that regard from Philippians 1, verses 19-26.

“Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.”

Paul states that the prayers of people on his behalf cause him to rejoice, because he knows they are working for his deliverance. He defines deliverance as either release from prison to be able to visit them or release from this life to be able to be with Christ forever. In fact, he says that the choice between the two options is a tough one. He longs to be with Jesus as we all do, but he also longs to be in this body. But look at his reason for wanting that option – it’s to be a servant to the people he loves in the church. It is not for selfish reasons in any way. He does not want a new car, or a new job, or a new wife, or a new baby, or a summer vacation, or any other thing that the world might offer as an alternative to desiring heaven. He wants to be a part of the body of Christ on the earth and see its progress and growth. The fellowship he will have with them will bring him and them joy because it will be God’s miraculous work that makes it possible.

All this sharing of joy begins at the altar of prayer. It is through prayer that Paul can be content with any outcome because he sees what God sees. Through prayer the power of the Holy Spirit is released to do mighty and God-magnifying things, including Paul being released. It is through prayer that God’s plan is both revealed and implemented, as Paul becomes aware that he will remain in the body for God’s purpose in the church. It is through prayer that peace comes because God’s purpose is understood and discovers that his labor will be fruitful. 

Are you short on joy? Maybe you’re short on prayer. Are you lacking peace? Maybe your prayers are lacking the power of surrender to God’s purpose. You see, there is no power in prayer unless there is surrender to God’s power while you pray. Prayer has no power of its own. The power of God is released in a surrendered heart to His Divine purpose. When we surrender and God supplies, we rejoice. It’s time for joy to begin. Start praying to see things God’s way. 

Pastor John 

LifeLink Devotions for Tuesday, August 6, 2024

Welcome to day two of our study of joy from the book of Philippians. Paul is in prison. Listen to what is happening because of it.

Philippians 1:12-18  “Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly. It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.”

Because of Paul’s incarceration there is a renewed sense of urgency that has developed in people to be bold in their witness for Jesus Christ.  Paul’s willingness to endure hardship for the sake of Jesus Christ has motivated others to become more courageous in their sharing of the gospel.

Paul’s life motivated this response because of how he responded to the jail time. He says while in chains the whole palace guard and those responsible for the operation of the jail have been exposed to the truth of salvation in Jesus Christ. Everyone in the churches knew of Paul’s boldness when he was free to speak. Now they have seen his boldness when there is an attempt to silence him. They have seen the true nature of salvation: it is not simply a convenient lifestyle that produces positive results, but it is a total transformation of the whole being that produces consistency despite circumstances.

Because of that, the people of the churches were being motivated to experience the total surrender of their lives to the cause of Jesus Christ. Oh, there were some who were faking it and were boldly speaking out for Christ out of envy and rivalry, and maybe even out of the selfish motives of spiritual attention deficit disorder. But Paul understood, as we should, that the power of God is in the speaking of the truth not in the motive of the heart. The motive determines our reward, but not the hearer’s response. The Word of God does not return void – ever!

For this reason Paul rejoices. He is filled with joy because the gospel of salvation is being preached and taught to more and more people. My friends, we are partners in the gospel, as I said yesterday, and we should be rejoicing when we hear of the gospel being preached. My heart is broken when I hear about churches that are fighting over how the gospel is preached or what methods are being used for evangelism. I am distressed when I get reports as I did recently of people who are secretly forming attack committees in a particular church to remove the pastor because they don’t like the new program they are promoting. I am confused by the people who call themselves Christians and continue to cause division and hurt in the church because music, worship style, and people’s personal freedoms do not match their own choices. To quote Paul, “What does it matter?” We should all be rejoicing because the gospel is being preached. Our only concern should be for the truth and that it is not a false gospel. The method and the motive are insignificant if the message is true.

Let’s spend today repenting of the criticisms of the church, and rejoicing over the ways the people of the church are spreading the gospel. That’s all that really matters.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Monday, August 5, 2024

Now that we have finished our study on how to stay strong and secure in all the hardships and storms of life, there’s another response to difficulty that needs to be considered. It is not a natural response, but one that is encouraged and commanded in Scripture. It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit in us. I am referring to joy. What makes joy possible during the trials and uncertainty of life?

The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the church at Philippi while he was in prison, and yet it was his most uplifting and encouraging letter. What makes that kind of joy possible when the circumstances of life were so horrible? I think we will discover from Paul’s letter some wonderful truths that will help us not only know the answer to that question but also experience the reality of it as well.

It is significant that the first statement of joy that Paul makes to the people in Philippi while in his prison cell is based on his relationship with them.

Philippians 1:3-6  “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Relationships are vital to the experience of joy in our lives. Paul calls the people in this church his partners in the Gospel, and it is because of that partnership that he is able to endure hardship. We see this principle worked out in a variety of ways in our everyday lives. Like athletes who press on toward the prize of winning a championship even though they are seriously hurting from an injury because they are surrounded by partners in the pursuit of the goal who support them and carry out their roles.

This is what the people of Philippi were to Paul – partners in the work of bringing people to Christ. Even though Paul was sidelined by his imprisonment he was filled with joy when he thought of the partners he had who were still hard at work to carry out their commission to spread the Good News. I have discovered this joy of partnership in the church. So many pastors have yet to experience it because they are forced to do all the work alone. They are leading a flock of impotent and sterile sheep who are unwilling to propagate the Gospel. Somehow they have gotten the idea that it is the shepherd’s responsibility to produce more sheep. These churches may be filled with people who do all kinds of work in the church but fail to do the necessary work of evangelism in the world. I know the sorrow that is produced in the heart of a pastor when he is leading a church like that.

I also know the joy of being in partnership with people who are experiencing the finishing work of God in their lives. They are at work in the church and in the world with the primary focus of their work being the salvation of lost souls.  They are growing in their love for Jesus Christ, which is expressed in their abounding love for each other. (see Philippians 1:9-11). They are striving for purity and holiness, and their lives are filled with the fruit of righteousness so that it is obvious in how they live every day that they belong to Jesus Christ.

I praise God for such partnerships in the Gospel. When things go wrong on any given day, and hardship comes, we can be filled with joy anyway because of those partnerships, knowing that others are serving our Lord and Savior with all of their heart. I trust that your partnership with me brings you the same joy.

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Friday, August 2, 2024

Today we conclude our study on trusting God’s character in bad circumstances. Our devotions have focused on the Apostle Paul’s words in Romans 8:28 which says that all things are working out for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. The basis for this study has been the “things” that are working for our good, and we have discovered that the “things” does not primarily refer to the circumstances of life but to the activities of God as expressed by His character in us.

In review, the “things” that are at work for our good are:

1.      The freedom from the sinful nature because of the Spirit of life given to us in Christ

2.      This life is one of righteousness and peace

3.      We have been adopted as children of God and granted all rights as heirs with Christ of all things

4.      This hope we have in our final redemption into a spiritually perfect and eternal body gives us the patience to endure hardship today

Our final point to consider is this: while we patiently wait for that final redemption, God has given us the constant companionship of the Holy Spirit to provide us with strength in our times of weakness.

Romans 8:26-27 “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.”

Paul begins this statement with the phrase “In the same way”. He refers to what he has just stated in verses 22-25 where we learned yesterday that we are inwardly groaning for the day when we will be free from the limitations and bondage of this physical existence and we will be given our eternal bodies. When we experience trouble and hardship, we groan for relief, and the ultimate groan is the cry for heaven. The groan for heaven is a groan we know, because we know the outcome of it. The groans for present relief are groans we do not know, because we cannot find answers. But the Holy Spirit groans for us because He does know the answers. In the same way that we groan for what we know will be the ultimate answer – heaven – the Holy Spirit, who searches our hearts and knows the mind of God, groans for the answers to our present situations so that everything works out for good according to God’s purpose.

I hope you find this as helpful and encouraging as I do. In those dark times when answers are hard to find, we can trust the companionship of the Holy Spirit who is at work to bring about good from the heart of God. When words cannot express the depth of our emotions and fears, the Holy Spirit understands our groanings. Do not fear the times of inexpressible confusion. Do not fear the times of unanswered requests. Do not fear the times of limited understanding. The Holy Spirit is never confused. He is never withholding an answer. He is always working to bring us understanding in faith. His time schedule may be different than we desire, but we can trust the outcome to our Sovereign Companion. 

When we understand this fully, we can wholeheartedly proclaim with the Apostle Paul the words of the rest of Romans 8 in this revised and condensed version:

If God is for us, who can be against us? With all these things at work on our behalf we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us. I am now convinced that nothing in this world or in my current situation can separate me from the love of God because I am in Christ Jesus my Lord.

May I suggest that you commit that to memory. Or write it on a card and always carry it with you. The next time a situation arises that looks dark, or diminishes your hope in any way, pull it out and read it and be refreshed. God is at work around you through the Holy Spirit in you to produce His good through you. That’s a guarantee!

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, August 1, 2024

Even though we have been spiritually adopted as children of God, as we discovered yesterday, the reality is that we still have to endure the hardships of this physical life for a time. Paul understood that when he wrote this next passage of encouragement to us in Romans chapter 8.

Romans 8:22-25  “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”

Let’s be honest, for most of us the physical hardships, troubles, and trials of life usually overwhelm our spirits and we long for them to be over. Our patience runs thin. We run after the pursuits of the flesh rather than rest in our position as a child of God.

According to Paul, the reason we run out of patience and run into problems is that we have displaced hope. For some reason we have bought into a self-serving spiritual philosophy that seems to guarantee us the fulfillment of the flesh because we have been adopted as children of God. “Give me my inheritance now!” is the cry of the followers of this position. The hope of such people is placed in the fulfillment of life in their current body. But Paul refutes that claim present prosperity by stating that our hope is to be in the ultimate redemption of our current physical bodies when Jesus returns in glory to give us our eternal, spiritually based body. Until then, we groan inwardly as we wait patiently for that to occur.

I like to think of this in terms of a caterpillar, even though the analogy is not perfect. Prior to my salvation, I was just wandering around feeding on any green leaf I could find. I may not have been the nicest creature to look at, but I did my best to combine my colors and my defense systems into an external appearance that could be tolerated. On the inside I was filled with bitterness: just ask the robin that tried to pick me up until I squirted his beak with my juice when he squeezed me too hard. I was afraid of intimacy, because any time someone would get too close I would curl up in a ball and protect myself from harm. Then one day I was moved in my spirit to leave that life behind. I suddenly understood that there was a purpose for my life and that I could be free to fly. I became responsible to put to death the old ways and be transformed into a new being. I spun myself into a grave where death would normally be certain, but where God’s power would transform me. This grave is ugly and hard. I am bound up in it, but I am patiently waiting to be fully released because I know that when I am I will be complete. Inside this shell I groan to be set free. My wings have formed. My spirit is transformed. My will is conformed to that of my creator. Very soon He will energize me to break out of the grave I am in and fly into His arms. Until He does, I wait patiently.

As I said, the analogy is not perfect, for in one sense we have already been set free from our cocoons to serve Jesus Christ in freedom. But in light of what Paul says in today’s Scripture, we are still in a physical cocoon. It limits us. It confines us. It makes us long to be free from its restrictions. But our hope is not in this physical life: it is in the death of this flesh and the resurrection into spiritual eternity. With our hope fixed firmly on that guarantee, we can patiently endure the hardships of our current cocoon. 

Pastor John

LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, August 1, 2024

Even though we have been spiritually adopted as children of God, as we discovered yesterday, the reality is that we still have to endure the hardships of this physical life for a time. Paul understood that when he wrote this next passage of encouragement to us in Romans chapter 8.

Romans 8:22-25  “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”

Let’s be honest, for most of us the physical hardships, troubles, and trials of life usually overwhelm our spirits and we long for them to be over. Our patience runs thin. We run after the pursuits of the flesh rather than rest in our position as a child of God.

According to Paul, the reason we run out of patience and run into problems is that we have displaced hope. For some reason we have bought into a self-serving spiritual philosophy that seems to guarantee us the fulfillment of the flesh because we have been adopted as children of God. “Give me my inheritance now!” is the cry of the followers of this position. The hope of such people is placed in the fulfillment of life in their current body. But Paul refutes that claim present prosperity by stating that our hope is to be in the ultimate redemption of our current physical bodies when Jesus returns in glory to give us our eternal, spiritually based body. Until then, we groan inwardly as we wait patiently for that to occur.

I like to think of this in terms of a caterpillar, even though the analogy is not perfect. Prior to my salvation, I was just wandering around feeding on any green leaf I could find. I may not have been the nicest creature to look at, but I did my best to combine my colors and my defense systems into an external appearance that could be tolerated. On the inside I was filled with bitterness: just ask the robin that tried to pick me up until I squirted his beak with my juice when he squeezed me too hard. I was afraid of intimacy, because any time someone would get too close I would curl up in a ball and protect myself from harm. Then one day I was moved in my spirit to leave that life behind. I suddenly understood that there was a purpose for my life and that I could be free to fly. I became responsible to put to death the old ways and be transformed into a new being. I spun myself into a grave where death would normally be certain, but where God’s power would transform me. This grave is ugly and hard. I am bound up in it, but I am patiently waiting to be fully released because I know that when I am I will be complete. Inside this shell I groan to be set free. My wings have formed. My spirit is transformed. My will is conformed to that of my creator. Very soon He will energize me to break out of the grave I am in and fly into His arms. Until He does, I wait patiently.

As I said, the analogy is not perfect, for in one sense we have already been set free from our cocoons to serve Jesus Christ in freedom. But in light of what Paul says in today’s Scripture, we are still in a physical cocoon. It limits us. It confines us. It makes us long to be free from its restrictions. But our hope is not in this physical life: it is in the death of this flesh and the resurrection into spiritual eternity. With our hope fixed firmly on that guarantee, we can patiently endure the hardships of our current cocoon. 

Pastor John