TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ephesians 6:1-4
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. - Ephesians 6:1
TODAY IN THE WORD
Pastor and author Joseph Stowell relates a story from a road trip when his children were young. Exasperated with his son in the back seat, he shouted at him to behave. His son sat quietly for a few moments and then responded, “Daddy, that's not ”˜be ye kind'.”

Our obligations to live lives worthy of our calling extend not only into our personal lives and our relationships with others in the church, but also into our households. It may sound obvious, but we need this reminder since we can sometimes deal more lovingly and gently with people in the church than we can with our own family members. God's Word will not let us think that the practice of our faith is exempt from our family, however. For the past few days Paul has told us how the husband/wife relationship ought to be a reflection of the relationship between Jesus and the church. Today Paul has a word for children and parents.

Appealing to the Ten Commandments (see Deut. 5:16), Paul exhorts children to honor their mothers and fathers. This command, Paul observes, is the first command with a promise—God has promised to bless children who honor their parents. Parents, though, are also exhorted by Paul not to use their authority over their children in an abusive way. Children need discipline and direction, but parents must be careful not exasperate them.

At the surface level these seem like plain commands for children to obey their parents and parents to raise their children with love. That is, godly parents are not responsible simply to teach their children how to be good people. They are responsible for teaching their children how to be godly people. Christian parents have the obligation and the opportunity of bringing their children up “in the training and instruction of the Lord” (v. 4).

Moreover, the fact that Paul qualifies parents with “in the Lord” shows that he is thinking more broadly here than just the physical relationship of child and parent.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
For some of us, our “parents in the Lord” may not be our biological family but rather spiritual leaders who nurtured us in faith. We aren't exempt from the command to honor our parents even if they aren't believers. But we should also honor our spiritual parents, those who—like Paul and Timothy—took the time to invest in our lives and fan into flame the gifts of God (see 2 Tim. 1). If possible, let these parents of faith know how much they have impacted you, and look around for someone you can nurture as well.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ephesians 6:5-9
You know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether slave or free. - Ephesians 6:8
TODAY IN THE WORD
Many Americans think of slavery as a horrible institution that was abolished over a century ago. Sadly, though, nonprofit groups and governments agree that more people are enslaved today than at any time in history. According to Anti-Slavery International, a British-based human rights organization, the most common contemporary form of slavery is bonded labor, afflicting some 20 million victims, who accept “employment” as a means of repaying a loan. But as the interest skyrockets, the loan can never be repaid and the “employer” subjects the victim to unreasonably grueling hours, as well as physical or sexual abuse.

Unfortunately, our passage today has been used to defend slavery and to compel slaves to submit to their masters. When these verses are read carefully in light of Ephesians 5:21, we can see that for Paul, the gospel message radically altered human relationships. Living at a time when institutions such as slavery could not be completely overturned, Paul did understand that uses of power and authority within their system were to look dramatically different for believers. If the individuals in those relationships are “in Christ” and no longer Gentiles, then love and peace rather than force and threats ought to characterize the relationship.

Paul explicitly inverts the traditional notion of authority in this passage. He does call slaves to obey their masters, but the reason is to earn favor with the Lord (v. . The source of authority is not the master, but God Himself. More remarkably, Paul uses this same conviction to exhort masters to treat their slaves with kindness rather than with violence and threats (v. 9). They are subject to the same ultimate authority, and unlike humans, God shows no favoritism. The master's earthly power will mean nothing in the final judgment if it has been misused. Paul's teaching actually begins to undermine the institution of slavery as it existed in his own day. All authorities are subject to Christ and will answer to Him for the ways that authority was exercised.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Christians have put modern slavery on the agenda of governments around the world. This follows a long history of Christians fighting against slavery, including William Wilberforce who led the movement to ban slavery in Great Britain in the 1700s. It's consistent with Paul's exhortation for Christians to represent different models of power in the world.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ephesians 6:10-12; Romans 8:31-39
Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but . . . against the powers of this dark world. - Ephesians 6:12
TODAY IN THE WORD
In Shakespeare's play Othello, the villain Iago hates his boss Othello because he was passed over for a promotion. To seek revenge, he convinces Othello that his wife Desdemona has been unfaithful. Tragically, Othello believes Iago and murders his wife. By not knowing who his real enemy was, at the end of the play Othello has lost everything, even his own life.

Paul doesn't want us to be confused about who our real enemies are. Earlier he told us that all powers are under the dominion of Jesus, although not all have yet submitted to His rule (1:20-22). The battle of these rebellious forces against God continues despite their defeat at the Cross. God is winning back His darkened world through Christ's death and resurrection. The presence of His Holy Spirit in the world represents a reassertion of His ultimate authority over His rebellious creation.

Everything Paul has said about our responsibility as those called and chosen by God to bear the image of Christ in this dark world concerns our role in this cosmic battle. The enemy we fight against is not one of flesh and blood. Our enemy is none other than the Devil himself. But how are we to discern this spiritual enemy and his cohort?

One way to distinguish between what comes from God's light and what comes from the Devil's darkness is to see how power and authority are handled. Where power is in the service of God, peace, love, gentleness, and unity will be present. Mutual submission will mark those relationships. Where power is in the service of the Devil, anger, abuse, threats, and violence will abound. To live as the Gentiles live is to continue to fight on the side of the Devil. We advance the cause of redemption by living holy and blameless lives worthy of our calling, and through the power of the Spirit, we can live this way. We can serve God and Christ as faithful soldiers in this battle, even becoming more than conquerors over the dark forces of the Devil (see Rom. 8:37-39).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Everyone is in some sort of authority relationship. If you're in charge, do you berate or belittle those under you? Do you treat them respectfully and fairly? And how do you respond to those who are in authority over you, whether your boss, government officials, or church leaders? Do you undermine them, or pray for them? The ways that we live in these relationships reveal much about our overall spiritual health. God has called us to live in peace, love, gentleness, and unity.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ephesians 6:13-18
Therefore put on the full armor of God. - Ephesians 6:13
TODAY IN THE WORD
Visitors to the Art Institute in Chicago can walk through a long gallery filled with suits of armor from centuries ago. They can see the progression of the “latest inventions” such as chain mail and sophisticated helmet visors. As impressive as this display is, however, not one of these suits of armor would be helpful on a modern-day battlefield. It would be the wrong weapon at the wrong time.

Yesterday we saw that we are part of the battle to redeem the fallen world. In our reading for today, Paul continues this metaphor of serving as a soldier for Christ. We will see that we do not fight this battle alone. Rather, in keeping with the idea that the body of Christ is made of many individual members who all work together for the body's good (see 4:1-16), Paul here refers to the many members as if they were one soldier, one new man, equipped to fight against God's enemies.

Much of the armor that Paul says to “put on” comes from Old Testament descriptions of the promised Messiah who will arise and bring light to the dark earth (see Isa. 11:4-5, 52:7, 59:16-60:3). As the body of the Messiah, it is not surprising to find Paul here telling the church to put on the armor of God's Messiah—truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the Spirit.

We tend, though, to read these verses as if they instruct individual Christians to don their own armor. But Paul is speaking to the whole church at Ephesus. His references to “you” (v. 13) are not addressed to individuals. He is really saying “you all” must put on the armor. That is, the many members of the body must put on the one belt of truth, the one breastplate of righteousness, and the one helmet of salvation. They bear the one shield of faith and wield the one sword of the Spirit. We do not stand against the powers and authorities as individuals. Rather, we are all members of the one body of God's Messiah. By working together for the body's good, we manifest the bright presence of God's Messiah to a dark and fallen world.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Do you have on the right armor? Or are you on the twenty-first century battlefield wearing a coat of mail? We are not alone in our battle; not only do we have the gift of the Holy Spirit, but we also have the gift of the people of God. Certainly regular church attendance encourages us in our Christian walk, but we should be intimately involved with other believers in order to support one another in spiritual war. Great growth and spiritual power can come from small groups, Bible studies, and accountability partners.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ephesians 6:19-23
Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love. - Ephesians 6:24
TODAY IN THE WORD
Experiencing Christian fellowship that transcends all the barriers of our world is a great foretaste of resurrection. One young man described his time on a mission trip with a tribe in Papua New Guinea this way: “I'm a white middle-class American teenager worshiping with tribes in the jungle. I didn't know their songs, but I recognized the hope and joy on their faces. I didn't know their language, but I recognized when they were praising Jesus. It was the most profound worship experience in my life.”

Throughout this letter Paul explains the mystery of God's calling both Jews and Gentiles into His chosen people. The two are now made one new person. All those who are included in Christ are reconciled not only to God, but also to each other. As this new person, the many members of Christ's body are responsible to live lives that are holy and blameless, lives that are worthy of this gracious calling.

When we who are “in Christ” live up to our calling, we participate in God's plan to redeem His fallen creation. Because of the equipping power of Jesus' resurrection and the Spirit's presence in our lives, we the redeemed are able to work together as members of Christ's body to bring the light of Christ into a dark world. We indeed represent the renewal of God's presence, the restoration of His image, in a world largely given over to the darkness of rebellious powers and authorities.

All of these elements are a part of God's grace. That is, God's calling, equipping, and redeeming action in Christ Jesus come to the fallen creation not because of its inherent goodness and worth, but solely because God loved His creation and His creatures enough to fight to bring them back into a right relationship with Him. “Oh, the depth and the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” (Rom. 11:33). Having given us a fuller glimpse of God's wisdom and knowledge, Paul's parting prayer for us is that this wonderful grace would continue to abound to all of us who have been joined to God's chosen people.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Paul's prayer is a wonderful way to end this month of studying the book of Ephesians; in fact, it's a wonderful prayer to pray on behalf of ourselves, our families, our churches, and indeed our extended family of believers that spans the globe. We will move next to an in-depth study of the relationship between grace and good works, the perfect context to remember the message of this book: God has called us and equipped us through Jesus Christ.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 18:9-14
God, have mercy on me, a sinner. - Luke 18:13
TODAY IN THE WORD
In 2002, Treasury Department auditors conducted an investigation into IRS taxpayer assistance centers. Twenty-eight percent of the answers to their questions were just completely wrong; 12 percent of the time they were told to find the answers themselves; 3 percent of the people couldn't obtain service; and 12 percent received correct but incomplete responses. Only 45 percent of the auditors' tax questions were answered correctly and completely.

If you're crowing, “Ha! I knew it!”, then you can understand the feelings that Jews in Jesus' day had toward tax collectors for the Roman Empire. They were among the most hated people in that culture. From this perspective, Jesus' parable in today's reading surely shocked His hearers—just imagine if your pastor held up the IRS as a model of customer service! That's what Jesus did, putting forward a humble and repentant tax collector as a model for receiving God's grace.

Jesus aimed this parable at proud and self-righteous people (v. 9). We see here a pair of contrasting pictures. The Pharisee, respected by most Jews for his legalistic self-discipine, offered a boastful, self-exalting prayer. The tax collector, on the other hand, cried out for God's mercy on his miserable self. He stood at a distance, wouldn't look up, and pounded his chest to show strong emotion (v. 13). In a satiric reversal, he left justified while the religious leader was not forgiven (v. 14; cf. Isa. 66:2).

How do we understand the way to obtain this grace? The keys to receiving grace are an acknowledgment of our uncleanness and unworthiness, along with repentant humility that turns to God for forgiveness and the power to change. Our study this month focuses on grace and good works, especially how they interrelate in ways that motivate and empower our lives filled with purpose (our overall theme this year). Some people see a contradiction between the two, while many others don't see how they fit together at all. We'll explore these issues and more as we work toward a biblical understanding of this key doctrine.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The prayer of the tax collector in today's verse has been repeated by Christians for centuries. Praying in this way helps to orient the mind continuously towards God and our relationship to Him, even under changing circumstances.

To help prepare your heart for this month's study, pray this short, biblical prayer throughout the day and allow the richness of God's mercy to be your focus.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ephesians 1:1-10
To the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. - Ephesians 1:6
TODAY IN THE WORD
Tennis player Althea Gibson was a trailblazing African-American athlete in the 1950s. Born on a South Carolina cotton farm and raised in Harlem, she battled poverty and segregation to achieve unprecedented success. She won 11 Grand Slam titles and was the first African-American to win the U.S. national championship and Wimbledon. To put this in perspective, Venus Williams in 2000 was only the second African-American woman to win Wimbledon. When Gibson died in 2003, Williams said, “I am grateful to Althea Gibson for having the strength and courage to break through the racial barriers in tennis. . . . I am honored to have followed in such great footsteps.”

Inheriting a rich legacy and following in great footsteps also describes us as believers in Jesus. We stand in and by His glorious grace, which Paul celebrated in today's memorable opening to Ephesians. All the credit and glory for redemption go to God. He's the agent of action in all these verses—He blessed, He chose, and He revealed His will. Best of all, He's freely given us grace, to the point of lavishing it upon us (vv. 6-8).

God's gracious plan gives us a new position. Forgiveness of sins and redemption in Christ mean we've been adopted as God's children. As such, we are to be “holy and blameless.” We have this identity and purpose through no merit of our own, but by His loving and sovereign choice (vv. 4-5).

This tremendous “spiritual blessing” is at once past, present, and future. Christ's death and resurrection are past, concrete historical events. Our salvation is a present reality within which we are to live, walk, and serve the Lord. And His ongoing work of redemption will be completed in the future. On that day, all things will be brought under the headship of Christ (v. 10; cf. Phil. 2:10-11). Our inheritance of grace is indeed one “that can never perish, spoil or fade” (1 Peter 1:3-5).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
During last month's Today in the Word study on Paul's epistle to the Ephesians, you no doubt noticed several key passages on God's grace. You may want to review those Scripture or devotional readings for insights that you gained about grace, mystery, freedom, and transformation. We explored several aspects of the connection between grace and good works in that study; today ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you more of His biblical truth on this subject in a way that will give your life a greater sense of purpose for Him.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 3:21-26
All . . . fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. - Romans 3:23-24
TODAY IN THE WORD
The first published African-American poet, Jupiter Hammon, wrote in a 1760 Christmas poem: “Salvation comes by Jesus Christ alone, / The only son of God; / Redemption now to every one, / That love his holy Word. . . . Dear Jesus by thy precious Blood, / The World Redemption have: / Salvation comes now from the Lord, / He being thy captive Slave. . . . Dear Jesus let the Nations cry, / And all the People say, / Salvation comes from Christ on high.”

“Amen!” Paul would have said. The first idea we must understand clearly in our study on grace and good works is that we are saved by grace alone. Grace is about receiving righteousness from God, righteousness that we could never achieve ourselves. Good works cannot bring us salvation. In fact, Isaiah 64:6 says, “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags”. To those who would try to earn salvation, Paul sternly warned, “You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace” (Gal. 5:4).

Justification is given “apart from law,” and following the Mosaic Law cannot attain it. In fact, the Old Testament also testifies to justification through faith (v. 21). To all who recognize their own sinfulness and believe in Jesus, God freely gives His grace. There's no other way to be saved. The standard is His holy perfection, so we are all sinners. All need His grace, and all have access to it—equal insufficiency, equal opportunity (vv. 22-24).

How does God's gracious redemption work? As sinners, we deserve death. But Jesus offered Himself in our place, as a substitute, to pay the price (make atonement) for our wrongdoing. Because He is perfect, His sacrifice is accepted on our behalf. God did this “to demonstrate His justice,” which means that the way in which He chose to give grace is at the same time evidence for His justice (vv. 25-26).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If you haven't yet received God's grace, we urge and encourage you to do so today!

A prayer modeled on today's reading might say: “Dear God, I know I'm a sinner. No matter how hard I try on my own, I fall short. But your Son has paid the price and made it possible for me to become your child. I trust Him, turn from my old ways, and give thanks for your grace to me. In His name, amen.”

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 4:1-12
To the man who . . . trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. - Romans 4:5
TODAY IN THE WORD
When the devastating tsunami struck southeast Asia near the end of last year, Ari Afrizal of Malaysia was swept out to sea. Drifting on floating debris and later a makeshift raft, he survived on coconuts. Though he was in a major shipping lane, passing vessels didn't notice him. After 15 days, he was finally rescued by a container ship. At first he thought they had passed him by, and then he heard the ship's klaxon. “When I heard that,” he said, “I knew I was saved.” To know he would live—what a sweet moment it must have been!

Sweeter still is the gift of spiritual life, our salvation in Christ. As we saw yesterday, God gives justification not because of any good in us, but motivated by His grace in response to faith. This plan of redemption isn't new—though Jesus wasn't born until the appointed time, those living before His birth also understood living by faith.

Abraham is a prime example (vv. 1-3; cf. Gal. 3:6-9; Heb. 11:8-19). The patriarch of Israel was justified not by works but by faith. This isn't just Paul's perspective—the Pentateuch itself also states this clearly (see Gen. 15:1-6). Abraham had no special merit by which he could make a claim on God. Instead, he believed that the Lord would keep His impossible sounding promises and entrusted himself entirely to His absolute faithfulness. Therefore, God declared Abraham righteous (vv. 4-5).

Another illustration from Jewish history is King David. In a penitential psalm, the great king confessed his sin and accepted God's forgiveness. This forgiveness was certainly not earned, and so David also celebrated “the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works” (vv. 6-8; see also Ps. 32).

Both Jews and Gentiles can follow in the footsteps of these biblical giants (vv. 9-12). Through believing what God has said about Himself and accepting His forgiveness, we are blessed indeed!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
As Romans makes very clear, we have no reason to feel self-righteous about our salvation, for we didn't earn it but received it as a free gift. That spiritual fact should keep us humble . . . if we remember it.

To remind yourself of what God did when He saved you, write a paragraph about it in your spiritual journal today. You might narrate the events, explain the theology, or recall your emotions. Give glory to God for rescuing you!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 4:13-25
The promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring. - Romans 4:16
TODAY IN THE WORD
In his autobiography, Grace Abounding, John Bunyan wrote: “

• ne day as I was travelling into the country, and musing on the wickedness and blasphemy of my heart, and considering of the enmity that was in me to God; that scripture came in my mind, He hath made peace by the blood of His cross (Col. 1:20) by which I was made to see both again, and again, and again, that day, that God and my soul were friends by this blood; yea, I saw that the justice of God and my sinful soul, could embrace and kiss each other through this blood: this was a good day to me, I hope I shall not forget it.”

Today's reading continues to draw parallels demonstrating how both Abraham and we receive God's grace by faith (vv. 22-25; Gen. 15:5-6). One parallel between the Patriarch and modern believers is that just as he was given a promise, we have been given salvation. God promised to make Abraham's descendants into a nation and through him to bless all nations (Gen. 12:1-3). Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of this promise, meaning that through our salvation “Abraham is the father of us all” (v. 16).

Another parallel is that God did not treat Abraham or us based on our own merit or worthiness. The righteousness through which Abraham inherited the promise was not his own but from God, just as our justification is a result of Christ's work of redemption. Abraham did not live “by law”; in fact, the purpose of the law was to highlight human sinfulness and God's just wrath against it (v. 15).

A final parallel that we see here is that the righteousness of God is credited by faith. “Against all hope,” Abraham believed God's promises. He didn't pretend that difficulties didn't exist, but he still believed that God was infinitely greater. In the same way, we trust God to do the impossible and bring to life what was spiritually dead (v. 18).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
To make today's reading even more personally meaningful, look again at verses 18-21 and paraphrase them in terms of your life. Is there an issue that feels “against all hope”? What “realities” are you facing in this situation? Like Abraham, can you take a step of faith and believe the reality that God is infinitely greater and can do what He promised? Do you really trust that God is fully able to do what He's promised? Let your paraphrase be a declaration that He can do the impossible!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 5:15-21
Those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace . . . reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. - Romans 5:17
TODAY IN THE WORD
The classic Fanny Crosby hymn, “Redeemed,” celebrates our salvation in these words: “Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it! / Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; / Redeemed thro' His infinite mercy, / His child, and forever, I am. . . . I think of my blessed Redeemer, / I think of Him all the day long; / I sing, for I cannot be silent; / His love is the theme of my song. . . . I know I shall see in His beauty / The King in whose law I delight; / Who lovingly guardeth my footsteps, / And giveth me songs in the night.”

As today's reading makes clear, God planned from the dawn of history to multiply His glorious grace to the world. To prove it, Paul went back in history, past Abraham all the way back to creation, Adam, and the Fall. Instead of using parallels as we saw yesterday, he worked this time through contrasts. Adam's choice brought death, but Christ's sacrifice brought life. Adam's sin earned judgment and condemnation, but Christ's obedience enabled justification. After Adam, death reigned in the world, but after Christ, grace reigns.

Note here that the contrast between sin and grace is not proportionate, however. The grace and righteousness found in Christ are incomparably greater than the sin and death of Adam's punishment. God's provision of grace is “abundant”—a Greek word so enormous that English translations struggle to express it­—so incredibly plentiful that it actually “overflow” (vv. 15-17). “Where sin increased, grace increased all the more” (v. 20)!

For grace to “reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ” (v. 21) means that grace rules or holds dominion in our lives. We're no longer subject to sin, law, and death, but have been saved into righteousness, freedom, and life. “All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God” (2 Cor. 4:15).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Perhaps the only experience better than receiving God's grace is telling it to others! With His tremendous plan of grace fresh in your mind, consider with whom you might share it in the near future.

Witnessing can be intimidating—often those in the world are uncomprehending or even hostile—but remember that the Lord wants to use you to bring His water to the thirsty and His life to the dead. He'll be right there with you!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 9:10-16
It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. - Romans 9:16
TODAY IN THE WORD
After President Franklin Roosevelt took America off the gold standard, he ordered the last-minted Double Eagle $20 gold pieces melted down. But two were given to the Smithsonian beforehand, and several others were stolen. Recently, one of these incredibly rare coins surfaced and was sold at auction for $7.59 million, making it the most valuable coin in the world.

When something is rare or a one-of-a-kind genuine article, its worth is astronomical. That's why salvation is priceless. It's the real thing, while our good works are nothing but dust in the wind as far as earning eternal life goes. We see this point again in today's reading, this time within the context of divine sovereignty. Because God is the King of kings, human factors determine nothing. Paul used the example of Esau and Jacob to illustrate this point. They had the same parents and family, the same potential future. Since they were still in the womb, there was no record to differentiate between them. Tradition would have given the primacy to the older brother Esau, but God sovereignly chose Jacob to inherit the Abrahamic promises (Gen. 25:23).

The reason was “in order that God's purpose in election might stand: not by works but by Him who calls” (vv. 11-12). “Election” means that God chooses freely—undetermined, uninfluenced, and unhindered by any outside factor. Verse 15 makes the point even more boldly: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion” (cf. Ex. 33:19).

Election is a function of God's character and who He is; it should be a spur to faith, for it's all about His mercy and grace (v. 16; cf. Ps. 109:21). We should be thankful that our God can't be manipulated by our human calculations, and that He chooses to lavish His grace. As commentator Charles Ryrie said: “If God were not free to show His mercy, no one would be blessed, for no one deserves His grace, and it cannot be earned.”
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Romans has a great deal to say about our month's topic, but due to limitations of time and space we can only touch on a few passages and principles here. Therefore, we recommend to anyone who is interested in learning more an in-depth study on God's grace in this book. Take your time, use commentaries, discuss specific verses and issues with other believers, keep a study notebook, and dig deeply. The treasures in this book far outweigh all the jewels of this world.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Isaiah 57:3-13
I will expose your righteousness and your works, and they will not benefit you. - Isaiah 57:12
TODAY IN THE WORD
Zoroastrianism, an ancient Persian religion dating back thousands of years, is still alive in the modern world. An estimated 115,000 followers practice this faith today, most in western India, where they emigrated from present-day Iran about 900 a.d. They regard fire as sacred, for they believe that when fire was created life began. “In our prayers,” said one Zoroastrian scholar, “we actually address fire as the son of God.” Zoroastrianism is monotheistic­ and teaches doctrines of heaven, hell, a messiah, judgment, and resurrection.

Despite these similarities with Christianity, Zoroastrianism is still a false religion worshiping a false god. As such, it is condemned in no uncertain terms by prophets such as Isaiah. Left to ourselves we develop wrong beliefs, which is one reason why human works are worthless. Tomorrow we'll see a complementary truth: Right belief is itself a work of God's grace. This is a step toward understanding, in a way that glorifies God and keeps us humble, the connection between grace and good works.

In the absence of grace, however, we trust in false gods. In today's reading, God charges the nation of Israel with witchcraft, rebellion, pride, disrespect, dishonesty, lust, sexual immorality, and idolatry. The people were probably worshiping Molech, the god of the Ammonites, for whom Solomon had set up places of worship (1 Kings 11:7; cf. Ps. 106:34-39). The Israelites had been quickly faithless to God, and they were tragically persistent in their devotion to their idols (v. 10). Their trust was misplaced, for when help was needed it would turn out that their gods could be blown away as easily as ashes (v. 13).

As another prophet said, “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs” (Jonah 2:. By contrast, those who trust in God will “inherit the land and possess my holy mountain,” a picture of God's presence (cf. Ps. 43:3; Zech. 8:3).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The Israelites were condemned by Isaiah for idolatry on “high places,” special sites dedicated to the worship of false gods. Sometimes certain places make it easier for us to fall into sin . . . whether it's the Internet, or shopping in certain stores, or driving in congested traffic. We may not be able to eliminate all of these places from our lives, but we can recognize our tendency toward lust, greed, or anger and make a renewed commitment to God to worship Him at these sites instead of our own desires.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Acts 11:19-26
When he . . . saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord. - Acts 11:23
TODAY IN THE WORD
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Don Hutson practically defined the position as we know it. The forward pass was not common in football in his day, but he altered the game almost single-handedly to make it a standard weapon on offense. After revolutionizing college football at the University of Alabama, he went on to the NFL and caught an 83-yard touchdown pass on his first play from scrimmage. Fast and agile, he was the first receiver to gain 1,000 yards in a season (just 11 games at the time) and set records that stood for decades. He had 488 career receptions, more than doubling the total of his nearest rival in those days!

A talented pioneer can change things permanently. We read today of some unnamed spiritual pioneers (v. 20) who were the first to reach out to Gentiles with the gospel. The fingerprints of God's grace are all over this episode. First, grace transformed something bad into something good—persecution in Jerusalem led to the spread of the gospel. Second, the message of grace spread beyond cultural and racial boundaries to the Gentiles. Third, “a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord,” accepting His grace (v. 21). Fourth, when Barnabas arrived and saw all this “evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged” the growth of the church at Antioch (v. 23). And finally, through Barnabas' mentorship, God graciously reached out to Saul, the former persecutor, and brought him into the ministry mainstream.

Barnabas played a remarkable role. As the representative of the Jerusalem church, he could have wielded his authority and stopped things. But because he was a man “full of the Holy Spirit and faith” (v. 24), he recognized God's grace at work and joined it. As a result, Antioch was the first predominantly Gentile church, the first place believers were called “Christians” (“belonging to Christ”), and the starting point for Paul's career of missionary journeys.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
How can you be like Barnabas? He was an encourager, so perhaps you can offer someone a cheerful word. Or you could mentor a younger believer, as he did Saul. He was also humble, thankful, joyful, faith-filled, evangelism-minded, and Spirit-guided, so you have many qualities to choose from! Ask the Lord to show you in which area you can bring Him glory and serve others like Barnabas.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Colossians 1:1-8
All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing. - Colossians 1:6
TODAY IN THE WORD
Counselor and author Timothy Sanford wrote in a Discipleship Journal article: “The cross is the focal point of all of Christianity. Everything hangs on the cross—everything. In the cross the Christian church has something no other religion has. Many religions have great teachers. Some have great martyrs. However, none but Christianity has a cross. None but Christianity has a salvation plan so strong, so poignant, or so absurd to human thinking. None but Christianity has a point in time where God, evil, and mankind collided so violently that it abolished the sin that separated man from God and changed man forever.”

That, soberingly enough, is the gracious truth of the gospel. In the gospel message, and therefore in the daily experience of our Christian lives, grace and truth are integrally connected. We hope that our emphasis on God's gift of grace has not given you the idea that it's some kind of “free ticket” to heaven. Or rather, it is a free ticket—“unmerited favor” is a common theological definition—but a ticket's no good unless you get on the train, and once you get on the train, it takes you somewhere different from where you currently are. The same is true for salvation—once you board the train, your life is forever transformed by the truth!

That's the idea behind Paul's introduction to his letter to the Colossians. The key is found in verse 6, “understood God's grace in all its truth.” Paul reminded the believers in Colosse about their first hearing of and response to the good news, probably preached to them by native son Epaphras (Col. 4:12-13). As we see in our verse for today, he then put this personal reminder in a global context, pointing out how the gospel was spreading around the known world. And he connected all this with fruitfulness: something happened as a result of grace, which is that faith and love sprang from the hope of eternal life (v. 5).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If Paul were writing to your church, what do you think he might say? If only criticisms and weak points spring to mind, then it may be time for you to recall your church's history—how God started and built up your local body—as well as its strong points and outstanding characteristics. If you aren't sure about the history of your church, ask your pastor or other leader to tell you. Though your church may not be perfect, you can praise God for His work in your congregation.