May 11 – Graciously Granted

“For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.”  - Philippians 1:29-30 (ESV)

Desiring or being thankful for the suffering we experience is not a natural reaction for us.  Suffering is something that is not enjoyable. But here is the promise we have in the verses today; the Apostle Paul tells us that we have been given (promised) suffering in our lives. We are granted, for the sake of Christ, to believe in God. He also graciously gives his people suffering and faith so that we might enjoy magnifying Christ to the adversaries of our faith through a trust that is fearless and humility to love each other. That is the point of this promise. Perhaps we have a greater opportunity to understand this these days.  When most things in our lives are going well without significant difficulty, we may not have a cause to reflect that our Lord Jesus suffered for us.  Suffering the fear and anxiety which we have and see in others, is a reminder that God is here for us. We have comfort and guidance from the Holy Spirit.  Today let us stand firm in our faith and trust God to fulfill all the promises He has given to us in Christ Jesus.  

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January 2 – Precious Promises

“For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”  -2 Peter 1:4  (NASB)

We have entered our fifth year of taking a brief moment to consider God’s promises to us.  God’s promises all come to us from His promise of abundant and eternal life. It is God’s grace and peace multiplied to us and the precious promises given us by God that results in our being adopted as sons and becoming true children of God.  We do not become ‘little gods’ but we do become ‘new creatures,’ through our re-birth in the Spirit.   We have received from God eternal life as a gift and so we possess a share of His nature which He has given to us.  This promise is also our way of escape from the corruption of our old nature.  If we have made some serious New Year’s Eve resolutions regarding our way of living which are honoring to God, and if  we really want to stick to them, God’s promises are here for us for that very purpose.  Let's resolve together to learn and hold on to all that God has promised every day. 

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October 2 – Granted To Suffer

“For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.” Philippians 1:29-30 (NASB)

At the time that the Apostle Paul wrote this he knew what suffering for the sake of Jesus Christ was like.  In Philippi, a Roman colony, a decision to follow Christ could bring severe social, economic, and legal consequences.  Paul tells us to remember how he was treated in Philippi (Acts 17). He and Silas were beaten and thrown into the jail.  Paul calls it a conflict and when it happens it is just that. We find our self in conflict between our message of salvation in Christ alone and the evil opposition of the world we live in. Opposition to the message of Jesus is growing and followers of Christ will experience conflict.  We know it has been granted to us with a promise from Jesus that if we are in service to Him, we will encounter suffering. It will be for His sake and the sake of His name.  We know too His promise that He is the one who is working our salvation to its completion. God is with us in all we do for Him. 

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July 21 – Precious Promises Granted

“For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”   2 Peter 1:4 (NASB)

Take notice of “by these” in the first six words in today's verse.  The “these” are what he wrote in the previous verse,  “everything pertaining to life and godliness...”  Peter asserts that as Christians we are fully equipped to live a life pleasing to God for we have been given all we need to overcome any obstacle we face, and that we can persevere under trial. God is sufficient.  These are the promises God has given to us, promises we find in other scriptures, and promises we can  trust.  By trusting in God's promises we are allowing Him to make us more and more like Him – we become participants in the divine nature which He is developing in our lives.  Each of us who believe in Jesus and have received Him as our Lord and Savior are being conformed to Him.  This is a wonderful truth and promise that one day, when we are in heaven, corruption of this world will no longer be a factor and we will experience the completion of that process conforming us to His nature.  It will all be to the glory of our Almighty God.

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