Category: bible study

Reading Time: 10 minutes

Is My Name Written There?
(Exodus 32:31–33 ; Luke 10:20 ; Malachi 3:16–18 ; Revelation 3:5 ; Revelation 20:11–15)

The one who overcomes…will be clothed in white clothing. And I will not blot out their name out of the Book of Life, but I will confess their name before My Father and before His angels. (Rev 3:5)

One of the most searching questions ever asked is found in an old gospel hymn called “Is My Name Written There?”

Lord, I care not for riches, neither silver nor gold;
I would make sure of Heaven; I would enter the fold.
In the book of Thy Kingdom, with its pages so fair,
Tell me, Jesus, my Saviour, is my name written there?

That question reaches beyond every earthly concern. Will I have enough money? Will I leave a legacy? Will people remember me? The Bible asks a far more important question: “Is my name written in Heaven?”

Jesus once said to the disciples:

“Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:20)

So here we see our Lord referring to some kind of book in Heaven where our names will be written. If Christ says that should be our greatest joy, then surely it deserves our deepest attention.

There Really Is a Book

The first clear reference to this book in heaven where names are written is found in one of Israel’s darkest moments. After the worship of the golden calf, Moses stood before God as an intercessor, and pleaded with God:

“Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.” (Exodus 32:32)

Moses knew there was a book. He knew names were written there. He understood that being removed from that book meant eternal loss. Yet, his love for Israel was so great that he was willing, if possible, to bear their condemnation.

Now, we do know, of course, that Moses could not become their substitute. The Bible tells us that only Christ could do that.

“The LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6)”Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.” (1 Peter 3:18)

Moses pointed forward to the greater Mediator, Jesus Christ. But look at how God answered Moses’s prayer:

“Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.” (Exodus 32:33)

Scripture is clear on this. Each soul is accountable before God. No one enters heaven because of another person’s righteousness. No one is lost because of another person’s sin.

“The soul that sins, it shall die.” (Ezekiel 18:20)

What Should We Value Most?

The hymn that we are studying in this message begins with

Lord, I care not for riches, neither silver nor gold;
I would make sure of Heaven; I would enter the fold.

Those words remind us of Jesus’ question:

“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26)

Everything we accumulate in this life will one day pass away. Jesus counsels all to

“Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” (Matthew 6:20)

The greatest possession anyone can have is not wealth, influence, or even health. It is citizenship in God’s kingdom. Paul speaking of faithful fellow workers said

“…help those women who labored in the gospel with me and with Clement, and others of my fellow-laborers, whose names are in the Book of Life” (Philippians 4:3)

That is Heaven’s highest honor. To have our names written in “The Book of Life.”

A Book of Remembrance

Malachi gives us another glimpse into Heaven’s books.

“Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.” (Malachi 3:16)

God notices ordinary people. Jesus listens when His children speak together. Our Creator God remembers those who reverence Him. Hebrews says

“God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love.” (Hebrews 6:10)

Nothing done for Christ is ever forgotten. Every quiet prayer. Every unseen sacrifice. Every act of kindness. Every faithful witness. All are remembered in Heaven. Not one effort for The Lord is ever in vain. (1 Cor 15:58)

Is There Hope for The Worst Sinners?

The second stanza of the hymn speaks for every honest believer

Lord, my sins they are many, like the sands of the sea
But Thy blood, O my Saviour, is sufficient for me.

How true that is. (Gal 6:14, Eph 2:13) The Bible never minimizes our guilt.

“The wage of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23) “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

Yet our sins are never greater than Christ’s grace. The hymn continues

For Thy promise is written in bright letters that glow
Though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them like snow.

Those words echo God’s personal invitation.

“Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” (Isaiah 1:18)
“The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)

Not some sin. All sin. Paul, once a persecutor, could testify

“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” (1 Timothy 1:15)

If Christ could save Saul of Tarsus, who vigorously persecuted Christians, then surely He can save anyone who comes to Him with open, honest heart.

Can We Know Our Name Is Written There?

The refrain asks repeatedly

Is my name written there
On the page white and fair?
In the book of Thy Kingdom
Is my name written there?

“Is My Name Written There?” That is an important question that deserves a biblical answer. Many sincere Christians live with a tortuous uncertainty of their salvation. But Scripture was written so we might have assurance. “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13) Jesus promised “Anyone who cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37)

We know because we believe His promise. We know because we prove His promises. In Great Controversy, page 632 we read

“we should now acquaint ourselves with God by proving His promises.”

“He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life.” (John 5:24)

We know because His Spirit bears witness.

“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” (Romans 8:16).

We know because His grace is producing new life within us. (2 Cor 5:17)

“We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.” (1 John 3:14)

We are not saved because we love. We love because we have been saved. Obedience is not the root of salvation. Obedience is not the price of salvation. Obedience is simply the fruit or the results of salvation. Jesus Makes an Extraordinary Promise. To the church in Sardis Christ says:

“They that overcome, I will not blot out their name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” (Revelation 3:5). Imagine that day. Your name spoken by Jesus Himself before the Father. What greater honor could ever be imagined?

Now, Jesus also said:

“Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, them will I confess also before my Father which is in Heaven.” (Matthew 10:32). Today we confess Him before the world. Then Jesus will confess us before Heaven.

The Last Great Judgment

“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God… and another book was opened, which is the book of life.” (Revelation 20:12)

Then comes one of the most disturbing verses in that Scripture:

“And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15)

Nothing will matter more on that judgment day. Not earthly success. Not religious profession. Not human reputation. Only one question remains. Is my name written there?

Dear Jesus, is my name written there?

The hymn ends with confidence instead of uncertainty.

O that beautiful city with its mansions of light
With its glorified beings in pure garments of white;
Where no evil thing cometh to despoil what is fair;
Where the angels are watching, yes, my name’s written there.

John saw that same city

“And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defiles… but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” (Revelation 21:27)

Notice the title. Not merely the Book of Life. It is called “The Lamb’s Book of Life.” Our names are there because of the Lamb who was slain. Because Jesus bore our sins. Because Jesus rose again. Because Jesus ever lives to intercede for us. (Heb 7:25) The final chorus changes from a question into a beautiful testimony. A powerful assurance.

Yes, my name’s written there
On the page white and fair
In the book of Thy Kingdom
Yes, my name’s written there.

That kind of confidence is not presumption. It is faith resting on the promises of God. The Bible opens Heaven just enough for us to glimpse a book. Moses knew about it. David alluded to it (Psalm 69:28). Jesus spoke of it. Paul rejoiced in it. John saw it opened in judgment. And one day soon every person who has ever lived will discover that this book is real. Do you want your name written in The lamb’s Book of Life? Do you want to see the names of your loved ones written there? Today Christ extends His invitation

“Come unto me.” (Matthew 11:28)

“Anyone who comes to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37)

If you have confessed your sins, trusted wholly in the blood of Jesus Christ, surrendered your life to Him, and continue abiding in Him by faith, (John 15:4,6,7) then your confidence rests not in your own goodness but in His unfailing promise. And on that glorious day, when the redeemed shall enter the Holy City and the Lamb welcomes His people home, may the question that once filled our hearts with longing become our everlasting assurance and testimony in song:

“Yes, my name’s written there
On the page white and fair
In the Book of Thy Kingdom,
Yes, my name’s written there.”

Amen. Amen! Come Lord Jesus!

Now, it is worth noting more closely how that the hymn intentionally moves from a fervent question to a rock-solid assurance. The first verse asks, “Is my name written there?” The final verse answers, “Yes, my name’s written there.”

This is just what the Bible shows  too. Believers begin by seeking Christ (John 1:38–39. Then believers come to the full assurance through His promises (1 John 5:13), and ultimately they receive public confirmation when Christ confesses their names before the Father (Revelation 3:5). That movement from anxious inquiry to settled confidence in Christ is a powerful structure for the gospel today. One of the most powerful foundations of Scripture is that it tells one unified story.

From Question to Assurance Throughout the Bible

The Bible begins by introducing the idea that God keeps a record of those who belong to Him. God Has a Book. The first clear mention comes from Moses. “Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.” (Exodus 32:32) God immediately confirms the reality of that book.

“Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.” (Exodus 32:33)

The Bible doesn’t explain the book because Moses already understands that it exists. David Recognizes the same Book. David later prays concerning those who persist in rebellion when he says: “Let them be blotted out of the book of the living and not be written with the righteous.” (Psalm 69:28). So now we learn another detail. The righteous are “written.” The wicked can be “blotted out.” So much for “once saved, always saved.” People can choose to turn their backs on God, and reject His mercy and guidance. Looking forward in prophetic time, Daniel is shown the closing events of earth’s history. “At that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” (Daniel 12:1). Now the book becomes associated with final deliverance. The question is no longer merely whether names are recorded.

Friends,Who will be found written there when probation closes?

Malachi Describes the People in the Book.

Then Malachi provides one of Scripture’s tenderest descriptions. “Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.” (Malachi 3:16)

Now we learn what characterizes these people. They fear God. They esteem His name. They encourage one another. God delights in remembering them. Notice that Malachi is not describing extraordinary people. He is describing faithful believers of all classes whose hearts belong to God. Then the Bible continues unfolding the picture. Jesus tells His disciples,

“Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:20)

Later He promises “I will not blot out their name out of the book of life.” (Revelation 3:5)

John Sees the Great Judgment.

“Another book was opened, which is the book of life.” (Revelation 20:12) And then he describes the New Jerusalem.
“There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth… but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” (Revelation 21:27) The Bible moves quite naturally from recording, to remembering, to rejoicing, to rewarding.

Another progression that goes even deeper is found in Exodus where Moses asks: “Can my name be blotted out instead of theirs?” But as we previously discovered, a sinner cannot save another sinner.

Friends, We may be assured by God’s promises

“Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” (Isaiah 1:18)

Already the answer is beginning to appear. The problem is not merely having or not having our names in a book. The problem is our sins.

As we see in Isaiah 53, the Servant appears:

“The LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6) This is how we know that Someone truly can bear another’s guilt. Moses offered to do this. Jesus is The One who accomplished this. (John 3:16)

God Promises The New Covenant.

“I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34)

Malachi speaks of a Book of Remembrance for God’s people. Jeremiah says God will remember our sins no more. He remembers His children while choosing not to remember the sins Christ has already borne. And finally, John brings both ideas together. The names are remembered. The sins are gone. Only those written in the Lamb’s Book of Life enter the Holy City.

One of the great themes of the Bible is that God knows:

God knows your name.
God knows your sins.
Christ bore your sins.
Therefore God remembers your name

but God does not remember your sins! That is the gospel.

Throughout the Bible, God repeatedly calls His people by name. “I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine” (Isaiah 43:1). Jesus says of the Good Shepherd, “He calleth his own sheep by name” (John 10:3). At the resurrection, Mary recognizes Jesus when He simply says, “Mary” (John 20:16).

The climax of the hymn here is not merely that our names are written in His book, but that our names are known by His heart. The Lamb’s Book of Life is not an impersonal registry; it is the record of those whom the Shepherd knows, loves, and has redeemed. (John 17:3). That makes the question, “Is my name written there?” profoundly personal rather than merely a strictly juristic question.

Is My Name Written There?

The hymn asks a deeply personal question: “Is my name written there?” Yet the gospel invites us to look beyond ourselves and consider those around us. As we think of our spouses, children, parents, neighbors, friends, and co-workers, another solemn question arises: Are their names written there? The thought should not lead us to judgment, but to compassion, prayer, and faithful witness. In the great controversy between Christ and Satan, every soul is precious to God, and He desires that none should perish. (John 3:15,16,2 Pet 3:9)

The names recorded in Heaven are attached to real people we interact with every day. People who may be struggling, searching, or unaware of God’s love. When we go one step further and we ask whether their names are written there, we are reminded of our privilege and responsibility to reflect Christ’s character, share His truth, and pray earnestly that those we love will one day stand with us before God’s throne, rejoicing that their names too, are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. (Acts 11:14, Acts 16:31)

Reading Time: 15 minutes

Who Are the People of God?

“…In Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Gal 3:26-29, NIV)

This passage is not primarily a statement about equality or social inclusion, as some people would lead us to believe. It’s not that those things are not important issues. But this text has a much bigger picture to it. The center of Paul’s statement here is identity. Because the gospel is not merely about forgiveness; it is about participating in the very life of Christ. The passage for this message answers one of the most fundamental questions in Scripture:

Who are the people of God?

And Paul’s answer is astonishing. He declared that the people of God are all those who are “in Christ.”

Clothed with Christ

…In Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith… for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ…”* (Galatians 3:26-27)

There are moments in life when clothing completely changes how others see us. A judge puts on a robe. A firefighter puts on protective gear. A soldier wears a uniform. I take off my drywall clothes and put on a suit to come to church. Clothing tends to identify people with a particular calling. If I went to a store shopping with my drywall clothes on, I would often get people asking me to come to their place to do some work because they could see that I was a drywaller.

Paul says something infinitely greater has happened to the believer. Believers in Christ Jesus dress in something absolutely “out of this world.”  True Christians wear the very best clothing in the world. And people tend to notice!

The Bible says in our opening text that we have been clothed with Christ Himself.  This is a much bigger picture than just having our sins covered. Or being forgiven! It is much more than receiving a legal declaration of righteousness. When we are in Christ, when we are clothed in His righteousness, Christ Himself becomes the defining reality of our existence.

The Father no longer simply sees forgiven sinners. He sees His Son. He sees Christ in you the hope in glory! Isaiah said it like this:

“He has clothed me with the garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness…” (Isa. 61:10)

But Paul goes even further. The robe is not merely righteousness. The robe is Christ Himself. And one really interesting thing here is how we are clothed in Christ, because we are now entering His Story. Paul immediately connects this special clothing with baptism. Now, baptism is not magic. The water has no saving power. But baptism publicly declares something that faith has already accomplished.

The old identity has died. A new identity has begun.

Just as Israel passed through the Red Sea into a completely new existence, the Christian passes through baptism into participation in Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. It is not simply that Christ died for us. Because NOW, we live in Him. “In Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28). “In Christ we live and move and have our being!”

That little expression, “in Christ,” may be the most amazing phrase Paul ever wrote. Notice the order. Paul does not say:  Obey well enough…Become holy enough…Understand enough doctrine… and eventually God will adopt you.

He says, “You are all children of God through faith.” (Gal 3:26) Sure, obedience matters. Sanctification matters. Character matters. Doctrine matters. But none of these create sonship. They grow out of sonship. When we are adopted as the sons and daughters of God, we want to obey, not to belong. But because we belong.

The New Person.

Here is where Paul reaches one of the most revolutionary statements in Scripture. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female…”  (Gal 3:28). Paul is not pretending that these distinctions disappear. Jews remain Jews. Greeks remain Greeks. Men remain men. Women remain women. The differences still existed. But none of them determined any person’s standing before God.

Before Christ, identity flowed from ethnicity, social status, gender, family, tribe, or achievements of some kind. After Christ, identity flows from only one source. Union with Christ. This is not sameness. It is unity. Just as the Father and Son, and The Holy Spirit are distinct Persons yet perfectly one in purpose and love, believers remain wonderfully different while sharing one life in Christ.

This is because Jesus did not come merely to prepare us to meet God. He came to prepare us to live with God. The unity in the Church, or amongst God’s children, as described here is not organizational unity. It is participation in the very fellowship that has always existed between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

It started with Abraham’s Seed. Paul states what may have seemed impossible to his Jewish readers. “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed.” Notice Paul does not say “If you are physically descended from Abraham…” Nor does he say, “If you become ethnically Jewish…” The determining factor is Christ. If you are in Christ, you ARE Abraham’s seed.

Earlier in the chapter Paul said that the singular “Seed” promised to Abraham ultimately referred to Christ (Gal. 3:16). Now he reaches his conclusion. If Christ is the Seed…and we are in Christ…then we share His inheritance. Not because we deserve it. Not because we replaced Israel. But because we participate in the life of Israel’s Messiah. The inheritance is not earned. It is shared. Everything belongs first to Christ. Then, astonishingly, everything that belongs to Christ is shared with those united to Him. See Isaiah 53 and Galatians 3.

Isaiah 53 helps explain what Isaiah anticipated. Isaiah says, “By His stripes we are healed.” Paul explains what that healing ultimately accomplishes. The cross does more than forgive guilt. It restores relationship. It heals alienation. It creates a new person. New people. The cross brings estranged sinners into the family life of God.  Healing is not merely physical restoration, though Scripture promises that one day. It is the healing of humanity itself through union with the suffering Servant. Whole person healing and wellness.

The Three Angels’ Message

This also connects well with Revelation 14. The first angel announces the “everlasting gospel.” The everlasting gospel is not simply the announcement that sins can be forgiven.

It is the announcement that, through Christ, fallen human beings are restored to their identity as worshipers who reflect the Creator. The beast creates identity through coercion. Babylon creates identity through confusion and compulsion. Christ creates identity through union with Himself. This is why I have sometimes replied when asked “Who are you?”  “I am the one that Jesus loves.”

The everlasting gospel calls every nation, tribe, language, and people into one family. Sons and daughters of God. And not by erasing their uniqueness, but by clothing them all with Christ.

The most remarkable phrase in our opening passage (Gal 3:26-29) is not “children of God.” Not “heirs.” Not even “Abraham’s seed.” It is simply: “In Christ Jesus.” Everything else flows from those three words. “In Christ Jesus.” Outside Christ there are endless divisions and separateness. “In Christ” there is one new human family called “Christian,” from ‘every nation, tongue, tribe and people. As God’s children, His adopted children, we are called “Christian” because we are like Jesus when we are “in Christ.”

Outside Christ we define ourselves by our past, our failures, our successes, our culture, our politics, our race, or our achievements. In Christ there is one defining reality. Christ is our life.

The Christian life is not just trying harder to become someone else. It is learning, day by day, to live out the identity God has already given us in His Son. That is why Paul can later say, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20).

The “robe” that we put on at conversion is not something we wear over our old life as some sort of covering. To mask what we are.  It is the beginning of an entirely new existence. (2 Cor 5:17) Every day, through faith, we grow into the reality of the One with whom we have already been clothed. (Gal 3:27)

We could note here how that Genesis 32:24-28 reflects the nature of some of the conflict we face as “seed of Abraham.” This passage is such a good example of what we are talking about here.

Now, I wouldn’t say Genesis 32: 24-28 is directly about all believers being as Abraham’s seed, but I do think Jacob’s experience functions as a pattern for what it means to inherit the promises through faith.

Jacob was about to enter the Promised Land. Genesis 32 occurs at a critical moment. Jacob has received God’s promises for twenty years. God has protected him, prospered him, and repeatedly assured him of the covenant. Yet before he enters the land, one obstacle remains. Jacob himself. The greatest danger is no longer Laban behind him. (Gen 31:22-23). His greatest danger was the Jacob within him.

Isn’t that also true of us? We tend to think our greatest enemies are external. Persecution. Temptation. Difficult people. Or even Satan himself. Scripture repeatedly suggests that God’s deepest work is often in dealing with the heart of His own people. There is even a promise about God giving us a new heart. (Ezekiel 36:26). The struggle in the great controversy has always been about identity. Jacob had spent his entire life living up to his name.

“Jacob” means “heel-grabber” or “supplanter.” His whole life had been characterized by seizing. He seized Esau’s heel. He seized the birthright. He seized the blessing. He seized Rachel. Even when God had already promised him the inheritance, Jacob still tried to secure it through his own ingenuity. His own strength and efforts. And that is exactly the opposite of faith.

Faith receives. Jacob grasped. So, when the mysterious Man asks, “What is your name?” it is not because He lacks information. It is an invitation to confession. Jacob must finally admit, “I am Jacob.” “I am the grasping one.” “I am the deceiver.” (Gen 32:27) Only then comes the new name. “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel.” (Gen 32:28)

The way this all happens is very interesting. First, confession. Then transformation. This is very much like Galatians 3. We are not first made heirs because we have become different people. Rather, God gives us a new identity in Christ and then calls us to live out that identity. (see Rom 12:1-2). Praise His Holy name!

Today’s message is saying that the blessing came through surrender. The most amazing paradox of Genesis 2 is that Jacob “prevails” only after he loses. The touch on his hip changes everything. (Gen 32:25) From that moment on, Jacob cannot wrestle in his own strength. He can only cling. Victory is sure when self is surrendered.

Before sunrise Jacob had been wrestling against God. After sunrise he is holding onto God. Jacob is clinging to God. There is an enormous difference.

Perhaps that is what Hosea means when reflecting on this event. “He strove with the Angel and prevailed; he wept and sought His favor” (Hosea 12:4).

Jacob’s victory was not in overpowering God. Jacob’s victory was refusing to let go of God! Isn’t that what makes the Christian life? Paul says, “You have clothed yourselves with Christ.” (Gal 3:27) But what does that look like in experience? What should we see if someone is “clothed in Christ?” Perhaps Genesis 32 gives us the best answer.

The Christian life is a continual surrender of the old “Jacob.” Every day the old self wants to secure God’s promises through self-reliance, self-protection, self-promotion, and self-sufficiency. The Spirit continually brings us to the Jabbok. Not to destroy us. But to change our name.

Notice that Jacob receives a new name before he meets Esau. Nothing outward has changed. Esau is still approaching with four hundred men. The circumstances remain the same. The only thing that has changed…is Jacob.

That is often God’s order. We pray, “Lord, change my circumstances.” God says, “First, let Me change you.” Only then do we discover that the greatest miracle wasn’t what happened around us. It was what happened within us. The things that happen to us or around us are not the miracle. We are the miracle.

When Jacob leaves Jabbok limping, we see a connection to the life of Christ. Jesus leaves Gethsemane wounded. Jacob bears the mark of his encounter. Jesus bears the wounds of ours. But here’s the difference. Jacob limped because of his own weakness. Christ was wounded because of our weakness. And now Paul can say, “You have clothed yourselves with Christ.” (Gal 3:27)

In a profound sense, as Christians, we inherit not Jacob’s limp, but Christ’s life. Yet Jacob’s limp becomes a fitting symbol of the believer’s walk. We no longer stride confidently in our own strength. We walk in dependence upon Another. “His strength being made perfect in our weakness.”

Could this be why Paul emphasizes, “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed.” Abraham learned to trust God’s promise. Jacob learned that trust often requires God to break through our self-sufficiency. The inheritance does not pass to those who are naturally strong, clever, or capable. It passes to those who, like Jacob at dawn, have come to the end of themselves and can only say, “I will not let You go unless You bless me.”

That cry is not the voice of human determination. It is the voice of faith. And in the Bible, faith is precisely the defining characteristic of Abraham’s true children. It is no accident that the patriarch who spent his life grasping whatever he thought he wanted or needed, ends his greatest struggle simply clinging to God. That movement, from grasping to clinging, captures the transition from the old life in Adam to the new life “in Christ.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 is one of the clearest explanations of what Paul means by “in Christ.” It is often quoted as though it simply means, “Now that you’re a Christian, you should live differently.” While that’s true, Paul’s point is much deeper. He is describing a new creation.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation; the old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Notice that Paul does not say: “If anyone believes in Christ…” or “If anyone follows Christ…”  Those are certainly Biblically sound ideas. But here his emphasis is on agency, or perhaps we can say “sphere of existence.”

A person is now in Christ. That little phrase changes everything.  A new realm of existence. Think about how Paul uses similar language elsewhere. Before conversion we are “In Adam” (Rom. 5), “in the flesh” (Rom. 8), “in darkness” (Eph. 5).

After conversion we are “In Christ”, “in the Spirit”, “in the light”, etc. Paul is not merely describing a change of opinion. He is describing a transfer from one realm into another. This reminds me of Israel crossing the Red Sea. The same people stood on the opposite shore. The same names. The same faces. The same memories. But they no longer belonged to Egypt. They belonged to God.

Likewise, the believer may look much the same outwardly, but spiritually he or she now belongs to an entirely different order of existence. The phrase “new creation” immediately echoes Genesis. Genesis says “In the beginning God created…” Now Paul says God has begun creating again. This isn’t merely self-improvement. Nor is it merely moral reform. It is the beginning of God’s final purpose for humanity. The same God who once said, “Let there be light,” now shines into human hearts (2 Cor. 4:6).

Paul intentionally links creation and redemption. Salvation is not simply escaping judgment. It is God’s recreation of humanity. This fits so well with Galatians 3.

Notice how naturally the ideas connect. Galatians says, “You are children of God.” You have clothed yourselves with Christ. You are Abraham’s seed. 2 Corinthians explains how that can possibly be true. It is because God has made you part of a new creation. Your deepest identity is no longer determined by your ancestry. Nor by your failures. Nor by your accomplishments. Nor even by your past.

It is determined by Christ.

This is why Paul can say in Galatians “There is neither Jew nor Greek…” He is not denying history. He is saying a greater reality now defines us. Christ as the beginning of the new creation This becomes even bigger when we remember Christ’s resurrection.

Paul calls Christ “the first fruits.” Elsewhere He is called “the firstborn from the dead.” Jesus is not merely the first person to rise. He is the first member of the new humanity. His resurrection is the dawn of the new creation. So, when Paul says we are in Christ, he means we already participate in that new creation life. Not fully. Not yet. But truly. We still await the resurrection of our bodies. Yet eternal life has already begun. (John 3:36)

Now, Jacob received a new name. But he still looked like Jacob. He still remembered his failures. He still walked with a limp. Nevertheless, God declared, “You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel.” (Gen 32:28) His identity changed before his experience fully reflected it. God saw the potential and where it was going to go. That is remarkably similar to Paul’s thought.

The believer is declared to be part of God’s new creation. Yet we still struggle. We still limp. We are still learning to live according to our new identity. Sanctification is, in one sense, learning to live as the new creation we already are. The life in Christ that we are called to.

Isaiah 53 tells us that “By His stripes we are healed.” Perhaps we can now say what that healing ultimately accomplishes. Christ’s suffering does not merely repair damaged lives. It inaugurates a new creation. The healing Isaiah foresaw is not only the removal of guilt. It is the restoration of humanity itself. The broken image of God begins to be restored. That restoration reaches its climax in the resurrection, but it begins now in everyone who is “in Christ.”

Notice that Paul almost never tells Christians to create a new identity. To begin some modern-day behavior modification program. He tells them to live from the one God has already given them. That’s a profound difference. Churchianity often says, “Become someone worthy, and perhaps God will accept you.” The gospel says “God has united you to His Son. Now learn to live out the reality of who you already are called to be.” That is the heartbeat of the phrase “in Christ.”

It is not simply a description of our relationship with Jesus. It is God’s declaration that the life of the risen Christ has become the defining reality of our existence. Jesus did not come merely to make forgiveness possible. He came to restore humanity to the kind of life that has always existed between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To be “in Christ” is to participate even now in that life. We are not spectators of the new creation; but by God’s grace, we are part of it.

1 Peter 1:5 fits into this picture extraordinarily well because it answers a question that naturally arises from everything Paul has said. If we are “in Christ,” if we are a new creation, if we are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise, then one question remains. How do we make it home to Heaven?

We are literally “kept by the power of God.” Peter’s answer is “…those who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:5)

“Kept by the power of God.”

Peter does not say we are kept by the strength of our faith. Nor by the consistency of our obedience. Nor by our theological understanding. He says we are kept by the power of God. This fits perfectly with Jacob. Jacob crossed the Jabbok limping. If the future of God’s covenant depended on Jacob’s strength, the covenant would have ended that morning.

Instead, Jacob was preserved by God’s faithfulness. His limp became a continual reminder that God’s promises rested on God’s power, not Jacob’s. That is exactly Peter’s point.

Peter says, “through faith.” But Peter doesn’t stop there. God’s power works through faith.  Faith is not the power. Faith is how we receive God’s power. Imagine a branch attached to a vine. The life is not in the branch. The life is in the vine. The branch simply remains connected. That is very close to Paul’s idea of being “in Christ.”

Faith is the continual dependence that keeps us consciously abiding in the One who is our life. Galatians says You are children of God through faith. Peter says You are kept by God’s power through faith. Faith is not merely how we begin the Christian life. It is how we continue in it.

We never graduate beyond faith. The Christian life never becomes self-sustaining. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” Peter says That new creation is being guarded by God’s own power until the final salvation is revealed.

The new creation is already true. Yet its fullness is still future. The inheritance has already been given. Its complete enjoyment still awaits Christ’s return. Peter says this just one verse earlier: “…an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you…” (1 Pet. 1:4) “…who are kept by the power of God…” The inheritance is guarded. The heirs are guarded. Nothing is left to chance.

Think again about Abraham’s seed. Israel inherited the land because of God’s promise. Yet every day they still had to trust Him. The Jordan did not part because Israel was strong. Jericho did not fall because Israel had better military strategy. The inheritance was entered by continual dependence upon God’s power. Peter is saying something similar about the Christian life.

We are heirs. But we are heirs who walk by faith from beginning to end. Isaiah 53 describes the Servant bearing our sins and healing us. Peter is one of the New Testament writers who explicitly connects believers to Isaiah 53 when he said, “By whose stripes you were healed.” (1 Pet. 2:24)

Peter isn’t merely talking about forgiveness. He’s describing an entirely new life “…that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness.” That sounds very much like Paul’s “new creation.” The healing Isaiah promised is not only the removal of guilt, but the restoration of a life lived in close fellowship with God.

1 Peter 1:5 tells us why that restoration will reach its goal Because God Himself is preserving it. “Kept by the power of God.”

There is an even deeper connection. One theme keeps surfacing: God is not merely preparing people for heaven; He is preparing people to live with Him. 1 Peter 1:5 fits perfectly into that idea. God does not simply hand us salvation and say, “Now don’t lose it.” Rather, the God who calls us into union with Christ is the same God who continually guards, shapes, disciplines, sustains, and preserves us until that union reaches its full expression at the resurrection.

Galatians 3 tells us who we are. Children of God. Clothed with Christ.  Abraham’s seed.  2 Corinthians 5 tells us what we are. A new creation. Genesis 32 shows how God transforms us. By bringing us from self-reliance to dependence. 1 Peter 1:5 tells us why we can have confidence: because the God who began this new creation is Himself keeping us by His power through faith until the inheritance is fully revealed.

That, I think, is why Peter can later speak about believers rejoicing even amid trials (1 Pet. 1:6–9). The trials are not evidence that God has stopped keeping His people. In many cases they are examples of how He teaches them to live as Jacob finally did. Not grasping for blessings in their own strength but clinging to the One whose power alone can bring them safely into the inheritance promised to Abraham.

“…to all who did receive [Christ], to those who believe in his name, he gives the right, He gives the power to become children of God. Children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” (John 1:12-13)

Who Are God’s People? They are “in Christ.” They are kept by the power of God. In Christ alone!

Reading Time: 5 minutes

“The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.” Psalm 72:3

Standing upon a mountain, one cannot help but feel how small the anxieties of life really are. The winds still blow, clouds still gather, and storms still pass across the peaks, yet the mountains remain unmoved. David often looked to the mountains, but Solomon, in this psalm, says something even more remarkable: the mountains themselves will bring peace to the people. But only “by righteousness.”

The peace spoken of here is not merely the absence of conflict. It is the peace that comes when God’s righteous King reigns. Psalm 72 is ultimately a prophecy of Christ. Wherever His rule is welcomed, peace follows. Not because circumstances become easier, but because hearts become anchored in Him.

For the believer today, the mountains can also represent the great challenges that rise before us. Some face mountains of illness, grief, financial hardship, broken relationships, or uncertainty about the future. Others struggle with mountains that no one else can see. Guilt from the past, fear of failure, discouragement, addiction, or the burden of their own sinful nature. Yet there is one mountain greater than them all: the mountain of sin that separates humanity from a holy God. It is a mountain no amount of human effort can climb and no strength of our own can remove. But at the cross, Christ did what we never could.  (Eph 2:13) Through His sacrifice, the mountain of condemnation was overcome. The believer can now say with confidence, “I am washed. I am forgiven. I am free. I am brought near.” Every other mountain in life must be viewed from that higher ground. Whatever difficulty stands before us today is smaller than the grace that has already brought us into peace with God.

Our generation is surrounded by uncertainty. Nations rage, families fracture, truth is questioned, and many live with an undercurrent of fear about the future. Technology has connected the world, yet loneliness has increased. Information is abundant, but wisdom is scarce.

In such a time, God’s answer is not first a change in circumstances but a righteous King.

Standing on that mountain, I realized that the highest peak I had ever faced was not made of rock or snow, but of my own sin and separation from God. Christ has already carried me over that summit. Because I am washed in His blood, forgiven by His grace, and free in His salvation, I can face every other mountain with hope. The difficulties before me may still be steep, but they no longer define my future. The greatest victory has already been won. As I reflected on that day, from the top of the mountain, these words came to me while I thought upon both the climb and the One I met there.

On Top Of The Mountain

Climbing my mountain high
I lost the meaning of my days
Higher yet to climb the why
Search for God, long for praise

His message of hope at the top
For friend and foe alike up there
Deserve their part as harvest crop
Stand in place and let Him share

Mountain prepared a speech or two (Psalms 19:1)
As I struggled to climb up there
Spoke of relationship kind and true
For on the mount He said “I care.”

Sun rises in place, lights my path
Yes, it was ready to shine at night
The more I climbed the less my wrath
For at the top I found God’s Light                                                                                    (by David Battler, all rights reserved)

Every believer has a mountain. Some are visible; others are hidden in the heart. Yet every mountain becomes a place of hope when it becomes a place of meeting with God. The greatest peace is not found at the summit of a hill but at the foot of the cross, where Christ conquered the greatest mountain we could never climb ourselves.

This mountain where I prayed did not remove tomorrow’s challenges. It did something better. It reminded me that above the noise of the valleys stands a kingdom that cannot be shaken. The same God who carved those ridges, raised those forests, and governs the clouds also governs history. His righteousness has not diminished because the world has become more turbulent.

Perhaps that is why mountains have always spoken so powerfully to believers. Like they did to me the day I stood in the enclosed picture on top of The Cardinal Divide. These beautiful mountains preach without words. They declare stability in a restless age, permanence in a temporary world, and majesty that humbles human pride. As followers of Christ, we are called to carry that same quiet confidence into the valleys where we live and work. Onto the mountain tops of our experience. Onto the mountains of difficulty wherein we often are placed or called. All these are God’s workmen whereby we are free in Him and in the power of His name. Our peace does not arise from favorable headlines or comfortable circumstances. It comes from knowing that King Jesus still reigns. Our Creator knows us and still loves us.

“Where Jesus is there is peace, lasting, deep, eternal. Even those things which were once our dread, lose all terror when Jesus is owned as monarch of the heart: death itself, that dark mountain, loses all its gloom. Trials and afflictions, when the Lord is with us, bring us an increase rather than a diminution of peace.” – Spurgeon, Treasury of David

“You may be sure to have peace when your mountains shall bring forth peace… this is the work of righteousness.” Joseph Caryl

When the mountains seem far away and daily pressures close in, remember the lesson they teach us that peace is not found by escaping the world but by standing firmly under the righteous rule of Christ in this messed up world.

“Righteousness is love, and love is the light and the life of God. God’s righteousness is embodied in Christ. We receive righteousness by receiving Him.” Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 18.

“as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” (John 1:12)

Lord Jesus, in a world filled with uncertainty, I hold forth the wonderful promise in your Word, “Peace I leave with you, not like the world gives give I unto you.” (John 14:27) Creator God, establish Your peace within the hearts of all who read this. Make us steadfast like the mountains You created—not because we are strong, but because You reign in righteousness. Help us to receive and to reflect Your peace to those around us until the day when Your kingdom is fully revealed. Amen.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Come here and listen; I will tell you everything God has done for me (Psalms 66:16, CEV)

Revelation 12:11 reveals both the ground of the believer’s victory and the means by which that victory is made manifest.

“And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death” (ESV).

The victory is not won through human strength or merit, but through the atoning blood of Christ, while the believer’s testimony bears witness to what that blood has accomplished. Such testimony is not limited to verbal confession; it is the visible outworking of a life transformed by grace. This is why the cultivation of gratitude and praise is so significant. A thankful heart testifies that Christ has already triumphed and that His people live in the assurance of His victory.

As by faith we behold Jesus, His joy and peace are reflected in our countenances, demonstrating the reality of our union with Him. Our faces become illuminated with the sunshine of His love, and our lives bear witness to the power of the gospel. When the Holy Spirit vivifies the soul, praise naturally overflows into a testimony that uplifts others who have not yet experienced the joy of Christ’s presence.

The “word of our testimony” encompasses both faithful proclamation and the quiet witness of lives radiant with gratitude, while the willingness to love not even life itself unto death reveals a complete allegiance to the Lamb who first gave Himself for them.

Psalm 66:16 extends the thought of Revelation 12:11 by inviting the redeemed to publicly declare what God has done:

“All who worship God, come here and listen; I will tell you everything God has done for me” (CEV).

The “word of their testimony” is therefore not an abstract confession but a personal witness to the saving acts of God in the life of the believer. Those who have overcome by the blood of the Lamb have something worth telling because their story is ultimately Christ’s story of redeeming grace. Instead of sputtering over “testimonies” of history, the transformed believer will simply echo HIS – STORY.

Such testimony is strengthened by a spirit of gratitude and praise, for thanksgiving acknowledges God’s continual faithfulness and magnifies His work rather than our own. As the Holy Spirit fills the heart with the joy and peace of Christ, that inward transformation is reflected in both word and demeanor.

A countenance brightened by the sunshine of His love, a life marked by humble praise, and a willingness to speak openly of God’s goodness together become a compelling testimony that invites others to “come and hear” what the Lord has done. In this way, the writers of Psalm 66:16 and Revelation 12:11 unite in presenting testimony as both proclamation and demonstration of “the everlasting gospel.” The grateful declaration of God’s mighty acts through lips that praise Him and lives that unmistakably bear the evidence of His redeeming power. This is what will move the world in these last day events that our world is embroiled in.

People of The Savior, RISE UP. Jesus your Light IS come. And the glory of our Creator God has risen upon you! (Isa 60:1) May your life become a living worship song.

Reading Time: 6 minutes

“…there was silence, then I heard a voice…” Job 4:16 (ESV)

Perhaps Creator is waiting in the very depths of my being to speak to me, if only I would become still enough to hear His voice. It sounds like a relatively simple thought. An easy concept to go with. A very searching thought. I often assume that if God wishes to speak, He will simply overwhelm me with His presence. Yet as I struggle in my mess to hear His Voice, I see how that throughout Scripture we find something quite different. Again and again Creator calls His people to quietness, attentiveness, and trust. I am realizing now that my problem is seldom that Jesus has stopped speaking. More often, than not, it is that my stony heart has become far too crowded to listen. Kind of like when Joseph and Mary were told “there is no room at the Inn for Jesus.” My heart gets so crowded, that it becomes a prison. And I become it’s slave.

I couldn’t help but notice that as soon as I began to quiet myself and listen, a literal pandemonium of voices arose within me, each clamoring for the attention it believed it deserved. Some were my own voices. My personal life questions, my fears, my memories, my endless analyses. Trying to come up with reasons why Creator God could or couldn’t do the endless barrage of my petitions to Him. My prayers, would be repeated so urgently that I scarcely left room for God to answer them. Others carried the subtle suggestions of the tempter, whispering doubt, accusation, anxiety, or despair. Still others echoed the world’s constant turmoil: its demands, its fears, its endless stream of opinions and distractions.

The unrest these voices produce is exhausting. They pull me in opposite directions until I find it too difficult to rest. Too hard to think clearly. Impossible to discern the next faithful step that Jesus wanted me to take. Instead of peace there is often confusion. Instead of confidence there is pressure. My soul became like the troubled sea that “cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt” (Isaiah 57:20).

Yet, in the midst of the toss and turmoil of my times of wandering, Creator is wonderfully patient. Jesus is always there. Jesus will never leave nor forsake me. But Jesus does not usually compete with the noise. Jesus will wait. Our Lord of glory, our personal Savior can be seen waiting just for me. Just for you. As I slowly, sometimes very stubbornly learn to “be still,” there emerges from the depths of my being a Voice unlike all the others. The Voice of Jesus does not shout at me. The Voice of Jesus does not try to manipulate me. The Voice of Jesus does not accuse me. The Voice of Jesus does not demand my attention through fear. The Voice of Jesus does not ever use F.alse E.vidence A.ppearing R.eal. The Voice of Jesus carries an authority that requires no volume. The Voice of Jesus comes with a certainty that never needs argument.

The Voice of Jesus is in verity, the still, small Voice spoken of in the Bible. The Voice of Jesus is that still small Voice that speaks to my soul. My innermost being. The Bible reminds us that the prophet Elijah did not encounter the Lord in the great wind, the earthquake, or the fire, but in “a quiet, gentle voice.” (1 Kings 19:12, ERV).

Elijah knew that the sound of a gentle whisper was God’s voice. He realized that God doesn’t reveal himself only in powerful, miraculous ways. To look for God only in something big (such as rallies, churches, conferences, highly visible leaders, or special books) may be just how to miss Him because Creator is often found gently whispering in the quietness of a humbled heart. Are you listening for God? Step back from the noise and activity of your busy life and listen humbly and quietly for his guidance. It may come when you least expect it.

God’s strength is not absent from dramatic displays, yet in some cases His personal communication comes through a quiet, gentle stillness. The One who spoke galaxies into existence also knows how to speak softly enough for my listening heart.

What surprises me most is not simply that God speaks so clearly, but how He speaks. In The Voice of our Lord of glory, there is an indescribable tenderness. This tenderness is not weakness. The Voice of God is the gentle strength of the Shepherd who gathers lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart (Isaiah 40:11). The Voice of God is the compassion of Jesus who looks upon weary and burdened people and invites them to, “Come unto me…and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). The Voice of God is the kindness of the Father who remembers that we are but dust (Psalm 103:13-14).

In God’s Voice, there is unmistakable power. Not the power that crushes, intimidates, or dominates, but the quiet authority that speaks light into darkness and peace into troubled hearts. One word from “the Christ” calmed a raging sea. One word from “the Christ” raised the dead. One word from “the Christ” forgave sinners. The same risen Lord still speaks with life giving authority. As we are told: “…the word of God is living and active…” (Hebrews 4:12). His voice reaches places that no human reasoning or emotional effort can ever reach.

When I hear God’s Voice, there is a profound comfort.

Not merely relief from difficult circumstances, but the deep assurance that I was not facing them alone. Jesus did promise His followers, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27). The Holy Spirit, whom Jesus called “another Comforter” or Advocate (John 14:16-17, 26), ministers that peace within us, reminding us that we belong to Christ and that nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39).

This tenderness, power, and comfort could never arise from human optimism or positive thinking. No “cognitive therapy,” or “behavior modification” needed. These three things: tenderness, power, and comfort, all flow from the living presence of the risen Christ dwelling by His Spirit within His people. The The Voice of Christ reaches beyond our emotions into the deepest places of the heart. Where fear slowly gives way to trust. Where striving begins to surrender to faith.

This is how my spirit drinks in the life of our risen Lord. This is how I go forth to life’s conflicts, disappointments, responsibilities, and joys like a flower that has quietly absorbed, through the shades of night, the cool and crystal drops of morning dew. Hidden from the world’s attention, nourishment has already taken place. Strength has already been given. Life has already been received. The flower does not manufacture the dew. It simply receives it. And we are told that when we receive Jesus, He will give us power to be, or to become “the sons and daughters of God.” (John 1:12)

So it is with grace. But just as the morning dew never settles on a stormy night, so the refreshing dews of our Creator’s grace seldom settle upon the restless, hurried, distracted soul. Yes, God is always gracious, yet we often become so occupied with the noise around us, and within us that we fail to notice the quiet ways He comes to refresh His children.

The invitation remains as relevant today as ever: “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Quietness is not an escape from life but preparation for it. It is not passivity but thoughtful faith. In stillness we discover that the Shepherd has never stopped speaking. We simply learn, little by little, to recognize our Shepherd’s voice.

Perhaps today Creator is not asking us to do more, strive harder, or search farther? Perhaps He is simply inviting us to become still enough, long enough to hear Him clearly.

Jesus assures us: “I am the Good Shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” “I am the Good Shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of Mine. As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down My life for the sheep.” {DA 476.1}

Here, Jesus found access to the minds of His hearers by the pathway of their familiar associations. Jesus had likened the Spirit’s influence to the cool, refreshing water. Jesus had represented Himself as the light, the source of life and gladness to nature and to man. Now in a beautiful pastoral picture Jesus represents His relation to those that believe on Him. No picture was more familiar to His hearers than this, and Christ’s words linked it forever with Himself. Never could the disciples look on the shepherds tending their flocks without recalling the Savior’s lesson. They would see Christ in each faithful shepherd. They would see themselves in each helpless and dependent flock. {DA 476.2}

“For His sheep know His voice, and they follow Him because they recognize the One who speaks life to their souls.” (John 10:27).

Reading Time: 7 minutes

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. (Mat 5:17, KJV)

There are many well meaning Christians today who have decided to go with whatever some Pastor or church has told them to believe about the law of God somehow being “cancelled,” or “no longer needed,” because Jesus has “fulfilled” the law. Jesus did state that His purpose in coming here in the Incarnate form was to “fulfil” the law. The logical question for us to ask now is simply, “OK, what did/does Jesus mean when He says this to us today?

One of the worst things people sometimes do in studying this topic is to quote things out of their intended context as revealed in Scripture. The topic of “fulfilling” the law is one of the biggest ways that people use to defend their positions of “the law is not something we can keep, or need to even try to keep.” “Jesus fulfilled the law so we don’t have to,” they say. The context in Mat 5:17 is found right in the text itself, especially in the next two verses, so lets look at those texts first:

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Mat 5:17-19, KJV)

Whatever you might currently believe now about the law being “fulfilled, it is certainly apparent that Jesus was not telling us to ignore it or to not try to keep His law. In fact, Jesus expands the application of the law to our modern day use and says that the law even applies to our thoughts. This is how Jesus says it in Mat 5:21-22

“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”

It is obvious that one of the functions of God’s law is to govern our thoughts. To establish our thought life according to God’s ways which are most certainly reflected in God’s laws. Paul expresses this idea very well when he said “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”(2 Cor 10:4-5).

God’s ten commandment law is a literal transcript of His character and if we are to reach the point of “Christ in you the hope in glory,” then we would want to also draw on His law for our guide in all things. There is no sensible Bible reason to ignore or negate or disobey it. The Psalmist gives the ultimate description of God’s law when he says

“The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. (Psalms 19:7)

We serve a wonderful God who would never lie or contradict Himself so if someone wants to use His Word in such a way as to make it look like God says something in one place, yet cancels that word in another place, they are simply reflecting a very unhelpful interpretation of the Bible. 2 Cor 10:4-5, and Psalms 19: 7 connect quite naturally to the idea of Christ “fulfilling the law” in Matthew 5:17 because they both point beyond mere external obedience of God’s law to the deeper work God intends the law to accomplish in the human heart. God’s intentions for His law is the same in both Old and New Testaments.

Psalm 19:7 says, “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul.” The law was never merely a list of regulations, that we cannot keep, that we are to go through and check off one by one. The law’s purpose was/is transformative. God’s law reveals God’s character, exposes sin, and leads a person toward repentance and restoration. The first four commandments describe our relationship to God, and the last six commandments describe our relationships with other people.

When Jesus says He came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it, He is not speaking merely of keeping commandments externally. Jesus fulfills the very purpose for which the law was given. Jesus did all that he did the same way we are supposed to do ourselves, today. Jesus depended completely on God to live His life here on earth. The Father’s law aims at the conversion of the soul, and Christ accomplishes that work in those who come to Him just as they are. The law can reveal the problem, but Christ provides the remedy. In that sense, He brings the law’s intended ministry to its fullest expression. (see Eph 2;13)

Jesus demonstrated how God’s law is supposed to look like in the life of all believers. Therefore the law is essentially both a mirror, and a road map for Christians today. The law is a mirror because we can use it to compare ourselves to, and see where we need to go or what we need to do next. It can be painful to see where our short coming are but this is what we are supposed to see when we look into the “mirror” of God’s law. God’s law also functions as a road map in telling us how to decide on matters or situations that may arise where we are not sure how to proceed and so it also serves as our map to follow in living the Christian life today.

Its very hard to think that Jesus ever came to abolish all this. The Bible does not support such an idea. How can anyone trust in a God who would reverse His own laws. His own principles which define both who He is and what we are to become? Paul makes this matter much clearer in the last verse of Romans 3:31

“Does this mean that by this faith we do away with the Law? No, not at all; instead, we uphold the Law.”

The reason that Christians must uphold all of God’s law, that is, the Ten Commandments, is very simple. They were never done away with on the cross, and as Paul also told us

“Whosoever commits sin transgresses the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”(1 John 3:4).

Christians who deny that the cross upholds the law, and the very plain teachings of Scripture which inform us that it was not the law that was “done away with on the cross,” rather it was “sin in the flesh” that was done away on the cross:

“For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh” (Rom 8:3)

Jesus came into the world and died so that sin would be defeated. He did not come to make peace with sin or leave sin in our lives. Jesus does not save people “in their sins” Jesus saves people “from their sins.” Jesus came to free believers from sin’s power. Jesus came to take away sin’s guilt, and to one day remove it completely from our lives. If sin is transgression of God’s ten commandment law, then Jesus came to enable us to keep His commandments by asking us to receive Him into our hearts so that He can “enable us to become the sons and daughters of God.” (John 1:12)

The Bible is always emphasizing that Christ’s work is against sin in every way. Not against His own law which “converts the soul.” (Psalms 19:7) “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul.” The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. Jesus is not merely forgiving sin while leaving it untouched; He is actively working to destroy sin’s power. (John 1:12) Sin no longer has to rule the believer. Believers will have no more guilt. Believers are forgiven and no longer condemned. Ultimately, sin itself will be completely removed from the believer, a work that begins now and is completed before the second coming of Jesus. This all fits well with passages such as Romans 8:3,

“God condemned sin in the flesh”, 1 John 3:8, Rom 8:3 “The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil”, and Titus 2:14, “to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own”.

When we think of instructions, decrees, and commandments, we often think of rules that keep us from having fun. From enjoying our lives. But here we see the opposite. God’s laws revive us, make us wise, bring joy to the heart, give insight, warn us, and reward us. God’s laws are guidelines and lights for our path, rather than chains on our hands and feet. They point at danger to warn us, and then point at success to guide us.

“The law of the Lord is perfect.” “converting the soul.”

As Christians, we “establish the law.” We are enabled to keep “the law of the Lord thy God.” Jesus said it very clearly. There can be no mistake. “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15). Obedience to God is indeed possible in our humanity. We are to serve Jesus in the nature we have,just as He served God in the nature we have. We serve Jesus in the nature that has been redeemed by His own blood. (Eph 2:13). In the righteousness of Christ we shall be enabled to stand before God pardoned, and as though we had never sinned. We are to turn in faith to Jesus Christ, and show our love to God through obedience to His commands:

“If we say we know God but do not obey his commands, we are lying. The truth is not in us. But when we obey God’s teaching, his love is truly working in us. This is how we know that we are living in him. If we say we live in God, we must live the way Jesus lived.” (1 John 2:4-6).

Jesus always fulfilled the law. So should we that others might see His true character and goodness, instead of pointless behavior modifications, and religiosity. True religion is the imitation of Christ. Those who follow Christ will deny self, take up the cross, and walk in His footsteps. Following Christ means obedience to all His commandments. Rev 14:4 tells us that the people who make it to Heaven are they which “followed The Lamb wherever He went.” “The LORD’S laws are right. They make people happy. The LORD’S commands are good. They show people the right way to live.” (Psalms 19:8, ERV)

Reading Time: 11 minutes

Reflections on 1 Thessalonians 5:5

“You are all children of the light and children of the day. We don’t belong to the night or darkness.” (1 Thessalonians 5:5, ERV)

When I read these words from Paul, I immediately notice that he is not merely giving information. He is reminding believers of who they are. He does not say, “Try to become children of light.” He says, “You are all children of the light.” This is a statement about our identity before it is a command for behavior. The Christian life begins here. If I want to live differently, I must understand who I can become through Christ.

There are times when I look at myself and I see my weaknesses, failures, and shortcomings. I remember past mistakes and present struggles. Some days I feel like I am literally drowning in my shortsightedness, and in my attempts at “being good,” trying to keep this person or that person “happy.”  Yet, Paul directs my attention away from what I once was, sometimes even from what I really am, and toward what God wants to or has made me into. Through faith in Jesus Christ, I am no longer identified with darkness. I am now counted among the children of light. This is not because of my goodness but because of God’s amazing love, mercy, and grace. The Bible tells us that ALL who are afar off are made near by the blood of Christ. (Eph 2:13)

The contrast between light and darkness does run throughout Scripture. It has become an outright war. A great controversy between good and evil. A literal fight to the death between light and dark. From the very beginning, God spoke light into existence. Light became a symbol of Creators presence. Light became a symbol of Creator’s truth. Light became a symbol of Creator’s purity. The Creator’s Light IS the symbol and source of eternal life. Jesus Himself says “I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12) The full verse reads: “Then spoke Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: they that follow me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”  It is interesting too, to note how Rev 14:4, in describing people who made it to Heaven as “they that followed The Lamb, wherever He goes.”

In Scripture, darkness often represents ignorance. Darkness represents deception. Darkness represents sin. Darkness represents separation from God. Paul is drawing upon this biblical imagery when he tells seekers and believers that they belong to the light and the day.

I find it very meaningful that Paul says we are children of light. A child naturally shares the characteristics of his father and household. In the same way, those who have been born of God should increasingly reflect His character. In The Book of Heaven, light is not merely around us; it is meant to be within us. Jesus Himself declared, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). Those who follow Him are brought out of darkness and into His marvelous light.

This truth reminds me of what Peter wrote: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people who belong to God. You were chosen to talk about the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9, ERV). It is the same truth in the Old Testament where the Psalmist says, “Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.” (Psalms 66:16)

Notice that God calls us out of darkness. Darkness is not our destination. Darkness is what we are rescued from. Every seeker, every believer has experienced this in some measure. We may have lived in confusion, self-deception, pride, fear, or unbelief. Yet Creator God has shone His light into our hearts. God has revealed Christ to us. There are a thousand ways that God has done this. Our Heavenly Father has showed us our need and His provision. God’s Holy Educating Spirit has opened our eyes to truth. (John 16:13-14)

I can identify with this personally. Before God’s Word began to shape my thinking, there were many things I assumed were true simply because they were commonly accepted. Especially at Church. Yet the light of Scripture has a way of exposing what is hidden. It reveals both God’s character and my own condition. Sometimes that process is uncomfortable, but I am finding how it is always beneficial. (Rom 8:28)

Long before I became a Christian, I worked as a palliative care nurse. Early in my nursing career, I was assigned to a young police officer who had been diagnosed with an astrocytoma. He had a wife and two teenage sons. When I first met him, he was able to carry on thoughtful, animated conversations. Yet over the course of only three months, I watched the disease steadily take everything from him. Eventually, on Christmas Eve, he died with his family at his bedside. I was there with the family. He was the first palliative care patient I had that died on my watch.

Throughout the experience I remained professional. I did everything my training required me to do. I supported the family, carried out my responsibilities, and appeared composed, as they later stated. But after he died, something inside me began to unravel. On the drive home, I broke down completely. I was only in my early thirties myself. I did not know how to process what I had witnessed. I had spent months watching a young husband and father die, and suddenly I found myself confronted with questions that no amount of professional training could answer. Questions about life, death, suffering, meaning, and what lies beyond the grave.

The next day, I happened to open an old blue trunk that had been sitting untouched for years. It contained old photographs, papers, and forgotten belongings from another season of my life. Buried in the bottom was a small white Bible. Years earlier, a well-meaning Christian had given it to me in the hope that I might read it and be “converted.” But I had little interest at the time. I had simply tossed that Bible into the trunk and forgotten about it for many years.

When the moment that The Holy Spirit had been waiting for arrived, as I opened that Bible, it fell open to a passage I had never intentionally searched for: 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. My eyes settled on verse 5:

“You are all children of the light and children of the day. We don’t belong to the night or darkness.”

At the time, I knew very little about Scripture, but those words struck me with unusual force. Looking back now, I can see that I was living in darkness. Not necessarily a life of outward wickedness, but darkness in the biblical sense of not knowing. I did not know God. I did not understand death. I had no real framework for hope beyond the grave. I had encountered suffering face to face and discovered that all my nursing and psychological education and experience could not answer the deepest questions of the human heart.

Yet in that moment, God began shining light into my own darkness.

Years later, when I reflected on Paul’s words in 1 Thes 5:5, I realized that before a person can become a child of light, the light must first reach them somehow. (Rom 10:14). In my experience, God often does that in unexpected ways. Sometimes He uses a sermon. Sometimes He uses a conversation. Sometimes a song or a dream. Sometimes God uses a tragedy that forces me to confront realities I would rather avoid. In my case, He used the death of a young police officer, an old forgotten Bible, and a verse that seemed to be waiting for me when I finally opened its pages.

That experience taught me something I have never forgotten. The light of God is not merely information and facts that I collect to say, “I am right, you are wrong.” The Light of Christ is illumination. It allows me to see reality. It shows us all who we really are, who God really is, and where hope can be found when every earthly answer fails. The psalmist wrote it like this:

“Your word is like a lamp that guides my steps, a light that shows the path I should take.” (Psalm 119:105, ERV)

As children of light, we are people who walk by that light. We do not create the light ourselves. We receive the light from God through His Word and through His Holy, Educating Spirit. Day by day, Scripture illuminates our path. It exposes dangers, corrects errors, and directs our steps. Comforts us in our distress.

“Practical truth must be brought into our personal life, and the Word, like a sharp, two-edged sword, must cut away the surplus of self that there is in our characters.”  (7BC 928.9)

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”  (Heb 4:12-13)

Now, Paul’s statement in 1 Thessalonians 5:5 occurs within a bigger picture discussion about the return of Christ. He reminds believers that the Day of the Lord will come unexpectedly upon the world. Those living in spiritual darkness will be caught unprepared. Yet believers are reminded that we are not supposed to be surprised. Earlier Paul wrote:

“But you, brothers and sisters, are not living in darkness. That day will not surprise you like a thief.” (1 Thessalonians 5:4, ERV)

This challenges us all to consider whether we are living with spiritual vigilance. Are we walking in the light? Children of light are not asleep to spiritual realities. We recognize that history, as in HIS-STORY, is moving toward God’s appointed conclusion. We understand that Christ will return. Therefore, we seek to live thoughtfully, prayerfully, and faithfully, “in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24)

Now, the very next verses after 1 Thes 5:5 continue with this thought:

“So, we should not be like other people. We should not be sleeping but should be awake and have self-control.” (1 Thessalonians 5:6, ERV)

According to Scripture, being awake is more than some sort of astute physical awareness. It is spiritual attentiveness. Spiritual vigilance. It means paying attention to God’s voice. It means allowing His Word to examine my heart. (Heb 4:12). It means resisting the spiritual drowsiness that can come from becoming too comfortable with the world around me. Or with church accomplishments. Or perceived “spiritual prowess.” (Rev 3:17)

I think many believers can relate to this struggle. It is so easy to become distracted. Daily responsibilities, entertainment, so called social media, concerns about finances, political debates, troubles at Church, troubles at home, and countless other matters can compete to consume our attention. None of these things are necessarily wrong in themselves, but they can gradually dull our spiritual senses if we are not careful to keep them from becoming more important than God. Is there something in your life that you have allowed to become bigger than your Creator God? Something more important than Jesus?

Paul is calling us back to our identity. We are “children of the day.” Daylight is associated with visibility and openness. Being awake. Things are seen clearly in the daytime. Likewise, followers of Christ are called to live transparent lives before God. Hidden sins thrive in darkness, but they lose their power when brought into the light.

“If we live in the light, as God is in the light, we can share fellowship with each other. Then the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from every sin.” (1 John 1:7, ERV)

What a beautiful promise. Walking in the light does not mean achieving perfection. It means living honestly before God. It means acknowledging our need of His mercy. The light does not merely expose sin; it also reveals the cleansing remedy and power provided through Jesus Christ. (John 1:12)

I am encouraged by that truth because every believer, including myself, still experiences weakness. We all still fall short. None of us are sinless. (Rom 3:23) Yet God does not ask me to hide my struggles. He calls me to bring them into His light where healing, forgiveness, and transformation can occur. (Rom 12:1-2) Paul also describes believers in Ephesians, using similar language:

“At one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. So, live like children who belong to the light.” (Ephesians 5:8, ERV)

Notice again the progression. First comes our identity, then our conduct. Because I am now light in the Lord, I should live accordingly. I will be enabled to live in the Light. (John 1:12). My actions should increasingly align with who God says what I am. The fruit of light includes goodness, righteousness, and truth. These qualities are not produced through human effort alone but through the work of God’s Spirit within us. (Gal 5:22-23).

“The influence of the Holy Spirit is the life of Christ in the soul. We do not see Christ and speak to Him, but His Holy Spirit is just as near us in one place as in another. It works in and through everyone who receives Christ. Those who know the indwelling of the Spirit reveal the fruits of the Spirit–love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.” {6BC 1112.1}

As I reflect on 1 Thessalonians 5:5, I realize that Creator, through Paul, was/is offering both comfort and responsibility. Creator wants to walk us along the path to transformation. Not conformity. Transformation into “the image of God,” by being “children of the Light.” (Rom 12:1-2)

The comfort is, that we belong to Christ. We are “children of light and children of the day”. We have been called out of darkness. We have been given understanding through God’s Word. We have hope concerning the future because we know the One who holds the future. Our responsibility is to walk consistently with that identity. Children of light should not love darkness. Children of the day should not live as though they belong to the night. We are God’s children. We are called to remain awake, alert, and faithful while waiting for our Lord’s return.

Every morning when the sun rises, it silently testifies to the reality of light overcoming darkness. In a similar way, God intends for His people to reflect His light in a dark world. Through our words, our conduct, our faithfulness, and our love, others should catch glimpses of the character of Christ. “Arise. Shine. For thy light has come and the glory of The Lord is risen upon you!” (Isa 60:1)

When I read Paul’s words in 1 Thes 5:5, I hear them as both a declaration and an invitation. God declares what His people are: “children of light and children of the day.” Then He invites us to live in harmony with that reality. I believe that through that text of 1 Thes 5:5, that God began calling me out of darkness and “into His marvellous light.” (1 Pet 2:9)

This message has been about demonstrating something important about 1 Thessalonians 5:5 and beyond. Paul is not merely talking about moral behavior or behavioural modification trickery. He is talking about an entirely different way of seeing reality. Before that Christmas Eve, when I stood in the very presence of death, for the first time, with no light to interpret it; I was in darkness. I almost couldn’t handle it. It was too much. All I could do then was to cry for three days. But this precious text became part of God’s answer to that darkness. And this is exactly the kind of testimony that will allow us to connect our own experiences of grief, confusion, and unanswered questions to Paul’s declaration that we are called out of darkness and into Creator’s “marvelous light.” (1 Pet 2:9)

“The wrath of God is not declared against unrepentant sinners merely because of the sins they have committed, but because, when called to repent, they choose to continue in resistance, repeating the sins of the past in defiance of the light given them.” (AA 62.1)

“People who believe in God’s Son are not judged guilty. But people who do not believe are already judged, because they have not believed in God’s only Son. They are judged by this fact: The light has come into the world. But they did not want light. They wanted darkness, because they were doing evil things. Everyone who does evil hates the light. They will not come to the light, because the light will show all the bad things they have done. But anyone who follows the true way comes to the light. Then the light will show that whatever they have done was done through God [or not]. (John 3:19-21).

“A soul filled with the love of Jesus lends to the words, the manners, the looks, hope, courage and serenity. It reveals the spirit of Christ. It breathes a love which will be reflected. It awakens a desire for a better life; souls ready to faint are strengthened; those struggling against temptation will be fortified and comforted. The words, the expression, the manners throw out a bright ray of sunshine, and leave behind them a clear path toward heaven, the source of all light. Every one of us has opportunities of helping others. We are constantly making impressions upon [one another] about [what we are]. The expression of the countenance is itself a mirror of the life within. Jesus desires that we shall become like Himself, filled with tender sympathy, exerting a ministry of love in the small duties of life.”  {3BC 1156.6}

May we, God’s Church, His adopted sons and daughters, embrace the identity that our Creator God has given us. May we walk in His truth. May we remain awake and watchful. And may the light of Christ shine ever more brightly in our lives until the day we see Him face to face.

The path of those who live right is like the early morning light. It gets brighter and brighter until the full light of day. (Prov 4:18, ERV)

“For you are all children of the light and children of the day. We don’t belong to the night or darkness.” (1 Thessalonians 5:5, ERV)

Reading Time: 10 minutes

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, (Gal 1:3-4, ESV)

“Nature and revelation alike testify of God’s love. Our Father in heaven is the source of life, of wisdom, and of joy. Look at the wonderful and beautiful things of nature. Think of their marvelous adaptation to the needs and happiness, not only of man, but of all living creatures. The sunshine and the rain, that gladden and refresh the earth, the hills and seas and plains, all speak to us of the Creator’s love.” (by EGW, SC 9.1)

The beautiful testimony of nature is wonderfully magnified by the gift of revelation. Just as the rain falls to nourish the soil, God’s written Word, Creator’s written promises are designed to revive the human soul, giving a clearer voice to the abundant beauty around us. Scripture and nature harmonize perfectly, revealing that the same hand which carved the majestic mountains has also traced a path for our personal peace. For our eternal life. As the psalmist notes

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalm 19:1).

Every sunset is a promise of a new day at sunrise. The chance for a new start. Every sunrise becomes a visual reminder of His enduring mercy. Perfectly echoing the truths found within the pages of His Word.

This living testimony isn’t just a static backdrop for us; it is an active, speaking guide if we would pause to listen. Every rustling leaf, rushing stream, and changing season carries a rhythmic wisdom meant to ground our often-chaotic modern lives. When we are overwhelmed by the digital noise and anxieties of today, creation speaks a language of patience, steady growth, and resilience. Of “something new.” (Isa 43:19)  Here, Isaiah pictures a new Exodus for a people once again oppressed, as the Israelites had been as slaves in Egypt before the Exodus. They would cry to God, and again he would hear and deliver them. A new Exodus would take place through a new wilderness. But the past miracles were nothing compared to what God wants to do for his people in the future.

Praise God! In the wilderness, where we can enjoy nature, we are reminded that seasons of darkness and winter are necessary prerequisites for a fruitful, beautiful spring. As the book of Job indicates, “But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; and the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you” (Job 12:7-8).

Job expands on this profound truth in nature by challenging those who misunderstand life’s storms, essentially saying:

“Why do you insist that the Almighty brought this disaster to punish me? Every single creature on land, in the air, and in the sea. Along with everything that happens to them is the work of His hands, and all of creation recognizes Him as the ultimate Creator and Ruler.

This is a basic truth that nature teaches everyone. But using this fact to judge me, claiming that I am suffering because I am a hypocrite, is completely out of line. God directs everything with perfect wisdom and power; but as for why things happen the way they do, and why good and bad circumstances are scattered so randomly throughout nature and human life, you are just as clueless as I am.”

By tuning our hearts to the nature’s commentary that surrounds us, we find practical direction for our daily lives. Learning when to let go, how to weather the storms of life, and how to quietly align ourselves with a deeper, divine pace.

When we look closely at these natural teachers, their individual messages become stunningly clear. The delicate wildflowers blooming quietly on a hillside whisper of God’s intricate artistry, reminding us that our lives are beautiful and deeply seen by Him even when we feel unnoticed by the world.

The shifting clouds above remind us that no matter how dark or heavy a trial may seem, there is always light woven directly into it. The sun never ceases to shine on the other side of the shadow, promising that the overcast seasons of our life are only temporary.

The ancient, deeply rooted trees standing firm against fierce winds call us to anchor our souls in truth, teaching us the quiet power of resilience and steady endurance in Christ.

To experience the natural world this way gives a profound, modern meaning to the prophetic promise that “the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands” (Isaiah 55:12). Today, when the mountains “sing” or the trees “clap,” it means that when we walk in alignment with God’s peace, our perception of the world is completely transformed.

A landscape that once felt lonely, harsh, or indifferent suddenly becomes a sanctuary of praise. The roaring wind through a forest begins to sound like applause, cheering us onward, and the majestic silence of a mountain peak feels like a grand, reverent hymn. God’s beautiful creation show us how His joy is so expansive that it overflows into the very fabric of creation, and of humanity, inviting us to stop viewing ourselves as isolated travelers and instead see that in this life we may walk through a living house of worship that is actively supporting us.

I learned the depth of this firsthand during a very difficult, frightening chapter in my life. When my late wife was dying, escaping into the quiet sanctuary of nature became my literal therapy. Even in the dead of winter, when the world felt frozen, cold, and hopeless, I found an undeniable comfort in grounding myself against the earth. I would seek out a strong, steady tree with thick green moss cushioned beneath it. Even though there was snow in the rest of the forest. I would simply lie down there to sleep or pray for a while. I wonder, was this little sanctuary made just for me?

In those quiet moments, I made a conscious choice to notice every detail, photographing anything beautiful I could find as a way to anchor my soul. It was there, resting on that vibrant living carpet in the dead of winter, that I felt the close embrace of the Creator, fulfilling the promise of Psalm 23:2-3:

“He makes me to lie down in green pastures.” The Lord met me in my deepest grief and provided a refuge where my heavy heart could finally breathe.

When spring and summer arrived, that therapy shifted into a vibrant explosion of flowers and greenery. Walking among those blooms and capturing their colors through my camera lens was so profoundly uplifting that I literally felt like I had taken a happy pill. I became fascinated by their design. How some of these delicate flowers manage to grow even in the dark, shaded places where nothing else would grow, and how others instinctively close their petals at night to protect themselves from the biting cold, only to unfurl and look into our eyes again the very moment the morning sun breaks through.

Watching this daily rhythm made me feel deeply renewed, proving that the restoration God promises isn’t just a distant hope, but a present reality. It perfectly illustrated the truth of Lamentations 3:22-23: “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” Just as He engineered the flowers to survive the dark night and open to the morning light, He faithfully renews our spirits with every new dawn.

The boundless declarations of nature and revelation alike is not just painted in grand, sweeping landscapes; it is intimately woven into the tiniest details of everyday life. The precise balance of our world, where every creature finds its exact needs for shelter, food, and purpose, reflects a Father who cares deeply for the happiness of all He has made. When we observe this intentional design, this intelligent design, our own anxieties begin to fade. Jesus lovingly directed our attention to this truth, by saying

“Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:26).

Since the Creator details the lives of the birds of the air with such loving precision, we can live with the quiet confidence that He is infinitely more attentive to the joys and heartaches of His children. The Bible even says that “God is love,” (1 John 4:8) and that “love never fails.” (1 Cor 13:8)

When we translate the natural rhythms of nature and revelation into our human experience, the parallel gives us hope, and is very comforting. For us, “closing up for protection” like a flower doesn’t mean a lack of faith or a permanent shutdown; rather, it looks like a healthy, God-given retreat inward when the emotional winter becomes too biting to bear. Jesus did say

“Come ye apart and rest awhile.” (John 6:37).

It is this kind of unforced rhythm of grace, that provides us the season of boundaries, of silent processing, and prayerful solitude, where we protect our fragile hearts from being completely overwhelmed by grief or fatigue until the light returns. When Creator “does a new thing.” (Isa 43:19)

When we are like the trees, we aren’t immune to the howling winds of hardship. We possess a hidden, deep-rooted stability. Outwardly, the storms of life may shake our branches and strip away what felt familiar, but inwardly, our souls are anchored deep into the unchanging truth of God’s love, allowing us to stand tall when everything else is falling apart all around us.

If I were to capture a photograph of a person who is seeing the light within the clouds, and tasting of the peace after a storm, that picture wouldn’t look like a life that has never known pain. When we see the light in our clouds, and paint a picture of that, our life does not suddenly become sanitized. Instead, the picture would show an amazing contrast: a face still marked by tear-stained cheeks, in scars of trauma and grief, yet illuminated by a soft, genuine smile. One might wonder where the smile even came from once they see all these other things in the picture.

But we should also see in such a picture, a posture of absolute rest and stillness renewing our body that was once tense with exhaustion. Eyes looking upward. Catching the unmistakable transformation of hope breaking through a heavy brow. Piercing the dark clouds with the light of Christ and His promises. Such a picture would be the portrait of a soul that has survived the downpour, standing in the refreshing calm of the aftermath, knowing with absolute certainty that the sun never truly stopped shining.

“God is love” is written upon every opening bud, upon every spire of springing grass. The lovely birds making the air vocal with their happy songs, the delicately tinted flowers in their perfection perfuming the air, the lofty trees of the forest with their rich foliage of living green, all testify to the tender, fatherly care of our God and to His desire to make His children happy. {by EGW, SC 10.1}

In the grand fabric of faith, this much needed, earthly renewal is the physical reflection of a much higher spiritual reality. The beckoning comfort found beneath the mossy trees, the resilience of a winter landscape, and the joy of a spring blossom, are all tangible whispers of the inclusive promise written in the New Testament that reads:

“Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father” (Galatians 1:3-4).

The deep sense of peace that meets us in the quiet sanctuaries of nature is not an illusion; it is a direct deposit of the divine grace flowing straight from the Creator’s heart. Because God’s love is the source that animates the sunshine and the rain, it finds its saving climax in the sacrifice of Christ, who gave Himself completely to anchor our souls in a peace that no earthly storm can tear away.

This beautiful connection of “nature and revelation alike” gives us the ultimate answer to the brokenness of our world. The “present evil age” that Paul writes about encompasses all of the heavy mysteries Job questioned. The random scatterings of heartache, the freezing winters of grief, and the agonizing pain of watching a loved one slip away. This is right where Creator can and will do a new thing, just as He does in the forest every year. As the delicate flowers are specially designed to close for protection and open victoriously to the morning sun, God has a special plan for our final rescue. Christ’s sacrifice was designed to pull us out of the despair of this broken world and deliver us into eternal restoration. When we step out into nature, or read our Bibles, we feel our spirits lifted, we are experiencing that beautiful, living prophecy, (Gal 1:3-4), of our ultimate deliverance.

Nature and revelation alike ultimately harmonize to tell us collectively, one singular story: the very same Father who meticulously cares for the birds, shapes the clouds, and cushions the forest floor is the God who has already given everything to secure your everlasting comfort, renewal, and peace.

When we read our opening text, (Gal 1:3-4), we see a powerful convergence between the general grace found in nature and the profound reality of salvation. While the quote from Steps to Christ invites us to look at the sunshine, the rain, and the hills as a daily broadcast of our Father’s love and care for our happiness. Galatians 1:3-4 focuses that same divine heart into a definitive, gift of something new that provides for our future. It reminds us that the Creator who masterfully designs the earth to gladden our physical lives is the exact same Father who orchestrated a sacrifice to bring salvation to our souls. Ultimately, while nature showcases God’s love through the beauty around us, revelation anchors that love for us in the ultimate gift of redemption. In the promise of eternal life. (John 3:16-19)

Grounding ourselves in this dual witness of love found in nature and revelation alike, can fundamentally shape our individual purpose, and the collective mission of the church. When our calling is rooted in both nature and revelation, our ministry mirrors the fuller spectrum of God’s character. We learn that the church’s mission isn’t just to share the message of eternal salvation, such as many do when merely reciting doctrines and “correcting” people, but we must also reflect the Father’s tender, daily care by tending to the practical needs, comfort, and well-being of those around us.

By embodying a love that is nurturing and sacrificially redemptive, we become a living sanctuary where people can experience both the refreshing gladness of God’s creation and the healing power of His grace.

“Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Savior mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, “Follow Me.” (Ministry of Healing,143)

This is why the Apostle prayed

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.” (Gal 1:3-4)