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“You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him” (Romans 8:9). The indwelling Holy Spirit gives us an assurance of salvation. Assurance of salvation is essential to our Christian lives, and I can’t imagine living without it. And we must have clarity about it from a truly biblical standpoint. This begins with realizing that a genuine believer is in the Spirit and has been given a new nature (see John 3:6). If the Holy...

"Take the helmet of salvation" (Eph. 6:17). The key to conquering doubt is to focus on the preserving power of God. Doubt comes to Christians in many ways. After you've sinned, your conscience might hiss at you, saying, "Surely you're not a Christian. Why would God save you anyway? You don't deserve His mercy. You're not good enough. How presumptuous to think God could ever use you!" Such doubts are common among Christians who focus on their performance rather than God's power. All too often we're quick to acknowledge God's power to save us but slow to understand His power...

September 21, 2015 Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist Reading 1 Eph 4:1-7, 11-13 Brothers and sisters:I, a prisoner for the Lord,urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,with all humility and gentleness, with patience,bearing with one another through love,striving to preserve the unity of the Spiritthrough the bond of peace:one Body and one Spirit,as you were also called to the one hope of your call;one Lord, one faith, one baptism;one God and Father of all,who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each of...

“In order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:4). If the Holy Spirit resides within us, we will be able to fulfill the demands of God’s law. Augustine once said, “Grace was given, in order that the law might be fulfilled.” When God saves us He, by His Spirit, creates within us the ability to obey His perfect law. Because we now live “according to the Spirit”—walking by the Spirit and being filled with the Spirit—we are able to do the...

"Take the helmet of salvation" (Eph. 6:17). Discouragement and doubt are deflected when you know you’re secure in Christ. The Roman soldier's helmet was a crucial piece of armor designed to deflect blows to the head—especially the potentially lethal blow of a broadsword. Soldiers of that day carried a swift and precise dagger designed for close- quarter hand-to-hand combat. But they also carried a giant broadsword, which was a two-edged, three to four-foot long sword. It had a massive handle that, similar to a baseball bat, was held with both hands. With it they could take broad swipes from side...

September 20, 2015 Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Reading 1 Wis 2:12, 17-20 The wicked say:Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;he sets himself against our doings,reproaches us for transgressions of the lawand charges us with violations of our training.Let us see whether his words be true;let us find out what will happen to him.For if the just one be the son of God, God will defend himand deliver him from the hand of his foes.With revilement and torture let us put the just one to the testthat we may have proof of his gentlenessand...

“Be subject to one another in the fear of Christ” (Ephesians 5:21). Spirit-filled believers will submit to one another. To the world, submission implies personal weakness or the coercive dominance of one person by another stronger, more intimidating individual. Such perspectives, however, are unbiblical. The noted expositor Martyn Lloyd-Jones describes submission’s original meaning in a military context, which helps us understand its scriptural definition: It is the picture of soldiers in a regiment, soldiers in a line under an officer . . . and if he [the soldier] begins to act on his own, and independently of the others, he...

"In addition to all, [take] up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one" (Eph. 6:16). Don’t elevate Satan’s will above God’s will in your life. In Ephesians 6:13 Paul characterizes Satan as "the evil one" who attacks believers with flaming missiles. The Greek word translated "evil one" literally means "bad," "vile," or "wretched." All are apt descriptions of the archenemy of our souls, who seeks to maim and destroy us spiritually. The term "flaming missiles" pictures one of the Roman weapons of Paul's day: arrows that had...

September 19, 2015 Saturday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 1 Tm 6:13-16 Beloved:I charge you before God, who gives life to all things,and before Christ Jesus,who gave testimony under Pontius Pilatefor the noble confession,to keep the commandment without stain or reproachuntil the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christthat the blessed and only rulerwill make manifest at the proper time,the King of kings and Lord of lords,who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light,and whom no human being has seen or can see.To him be honor and eternal power. Amen. Responsorial Psalm PS 100:1b-2, 3,...

“Always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father” (Ephesians 5:20). Sincere thanks to God will result at all times if we are truly filled with the Spirit. I’m convinced that gratitude is the single greatest act of personal worship we can render to God. And today’s verse plainly asserts that thankfulness should be a well-rounded, consistent response to whatever God allows to happen in our lives (see 1 Thess. 5:18). Such a thankful attitude is impossible in our own strength, but as the Holy Spirit indwells us, He graciously...

"In addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one" (Eph. 6:16). Intense spiritual warfare calls for intense trust in God. An on-duty Roman soldier was always dressed for battle but didn't employ his shield, helmet, and sword until the fighting started. But we as Christians must be ready for battle at all times because our enemy is relentless. We can't afford to overlook a single piece of armor or slip into complacency or neglect. In that regard, Ephesians 6:16 says in effect, "Now...

September 18, 2015   Friday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 1 Tm 6:2c-12 Beloved:Teach and urge these things.Whoever teaches something differentand does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christand the religious teachingis conceited, understanding nothing,and has a morbid disposition for arguments and verbal disputes.From these come envy, rivalry, insults, evil suspicions,and mutual friction among people with corrupted minds,who are deprived of the truth,supposing religion to be a means of gain.Indeed, religion with contentment is a great gain.For we brought nothing into the world,just as we shall not be able to take...

Have you ever noticed the way God relates to the world? He never dreams up a new vocabulary. He uses the one we use. He never communicates in a category that is unrelated to human experience. He communicates through it. Love is one of those categories. When we talk about love, we can all understand it to one degree or another—all of us love or have been in love. And it is no accident that the relationship between the Creator and his creation is also one of love.However, have you ever considered the fact that God has a problem with...

“Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19). If we are Spirit-filled, we will have songs of praise in our hearts and on our lips. Once a Christian knows about being Spirit-filled and walking by the Spirit, it is still fair for him or her to ask, “But how can I know if the Holy Spirit is really at work in my life?” Ephesians 5:19 answers this question by declaring one of the unmistakable evidences of the Spirit’s full operation in our lives—we will have...

"Stand firm . . . having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace" (Eph. 6:14-15). Standing firm while in the conflict requires the right kind of spiritual footwear. I'll never forget a game that took place at the Rose Bowl during my college football days. Being winter time and late in the football season, the field was in bad shape from several days of rain and an entire season of wear and tear. However, the grounds crew painted the field green, so it looked much better than it actually was. I had two pairs of football...

September 17, 2015   Thursday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 1 Tm 4:12-16 Beloved:Let no one have contempt for your youth,but set an example for those who believe,in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity.Until I arrive, attend to the reading, exhortation, and teaching.Do not neglect the gift you have,which was conferred on you through the prophetic wordwith the imposition of hands by the presbyterate.Be diligent in these matters, be absorbed in them,so that your progress may be evident to everyone.Attend to yourself and to your teaching;persevere in both tasks,for by doing so you will save...

Cathedrals are worried that planned new laws banning so-called legal highs could make it a crime to use incense in services. And they are lobbying the Government to change the legislation to ensure priests and can use incense without risk of arrest. The plea has come from the Association of English Cathedrals, which represents cathedrals across the country including Durham and Newcastle. In a statement to the Commons Home Affairs Committee, which is examining the planned legislation, the association highlighted historic Durham Cathedral as one of those that could be affected. The Churches’ Legislation Advisory Service also asked MPs to...

“Be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). God wants every aspect of the believer’s being to be under the complete control of the Holy Spirit. Pleroo, the basic Greek word for “be filled,” offers three shades of meaning that illustrate what Paul’s command to be Spirit-filled means. First, the word describes the pressure of wind filling a ship’s sails and moving the vessel across the water. That parallels the Holy Spirit’s leading us down the pathway of spiritual obedience. We aren’t primarily motivated by our own plans and desires, but we allow the Spirit’s gracious pressure to move us in...

"Stand firm therefore . . . having put on the breastplate of righteousness" (Eph. 6:14). A righteous life testifies to God’s transforming power and brings Him glory. We've seen the importance of donning the breastplate of righteousness, but Scripture also discusses the consequences of failing to do so. These consequences serve as warnings to anyone who is prone to neglect righteousness. If you're not committed to righteousness, you not only make yourself spiritually vulnerable, but also forfeit some of God's wonderful blessings. David prayed, "Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation" (Ps. 51:13). His sin had robbed him of...