A Hymn of Grace

As far back as we can follow God’s people, we can see singing as a natural expression of praise. Moses and Israel sing to Jehovah upon the Exodus; the book of Psalms is a collection of songs the Israelites used in their worship; Mary sings a song praising God when she learns of her pregnancy with Jesus; and we see songs in the New Testament as a way of teaching and edifying one another. While Paul may not have originally intended this passage as such, Ephesians 1:3-14 is traditionally considered a hymn of grace, and Paul reminds us of God’s good works toward us through this song.

The Three Verses of Ephesians 1:3-14

• Verses 3-6 in our Bibles is considered the first verse or stanza of the song. This passage considers what it must have taken for God to take on flesh to be our redeeming sacrifice. It is a reflection of God’s love demonstrated in Christ. From Him all blessing s flow, and we praise Him for that grace.
• Verses 7-12 comprise the second stanza. This passage considers Jesus’ role in redemption. It is praise to the Son for being the one to come and lay down himself so we may have an inheritance of salvation. In Him we have forgiveness and redemption with the shedding of His blood, and we praise Him for that sacrifice.
• Verses 13-14 comprise the final stanza, focusing on the work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit seals our promise and guarantees our inheritance, and we praise the Spirit for His work.

Conclusion

All of these stanzas end with glorification of God, embodied in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Our lives are to glorify our God and be reflections of His glory. We praise Him for His work, for His inheritance, for His sacrifice, for His grace. He has done so much for us. How can we give less back than a life of praising Him and sacrificing ourselves for His glory?

lesson by Tim Smelser

The Churches of Galatia

The letter to the Galatian churches may have been one of Paul’s first letters, probably written shortly after the first missionary journey. This letter is possibly specifically sent to Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, Attalia and Perga. In Acts 13-14, we see the founding of churches in these cities. Paul teaches of justification in Christ separate from the law of Moses. Paul and Barnabas are followed throughout these chapters by those who would seek to contradict them and do them harm. They are alternately treated as gods and stoned as blasphemers, but Paul and Barnabas persist in their work, traveling from city to city, preaching God’s word to any who would hear.

On their return trip beginning in Acts 14:22, Paul and Barnabas appoint elders, pray and fast with the new disciples, strengthen them, encourage them to continue in their young faith, and commend the new disciples to the Lord. Still, false teachers trail behind, seeking to undo what Paul and Barnabas have accomplished in these locations. This is where the letter to the churches of Galatia probably comes in.

Paul’s Defense

In chapters one and two, Paul defends his place as an apostle and God’s word. He has preached Christ’s gospel in all of these locations, and chapter 1:6 records Paul’s amazement how quickly they have drifted from that message to another. He makes a strong statement in verses 8-9 that anyone teaching another gospel, man or angel, is accursed. He then goes on to defend his knowledge of the gospel through inspiration through the rest of chapters one and two.

God’s Plan for Justification

Chapters three and four address a problem in how the Galatian churches view justification: does salvation come from faith or obedience? Paul goes on to explain the balance between law and faith, using Abraham as an example of faithful obedience. Obedience does not nullify faith, nor does faith remove the need for obedience. In Romans 3:27, Paul calls this balance a law of faith.

Five times in Galatians, Paul references obedient works as the result of faith. Galatians 3:27-29, Paul calls that former law a tutor we no longer need while introducing the idea that we are children of God. He goes on in chapter 4 to describe that relationship in more detail, not slaves any longer but free children, redeemed by the Son.

Doing Good Works

Chapters five and six focus on walking by the spirit because we live in the spirit. He writes of loving, serving, and preferring one another. Paul contrasts this with the ways of the world – feuding with one another, arguing, and living contentiously with each other. He describes what spiritual living should look like: peaceful, kind, and generous – those qualities we call the fruits of the spirit. These qualities should typify the life of any Christian.

Conclusion

In all of these congregations in Galatia, Paul emphasizes the power of the gospel, and he reaffirms that power in his letter to them. He reminds them that they are now dead to self while alive to Christ, reminding his readers of the importance of CHrist in the gospel and the benefits of the new covenant over the old. Paul also spends time contrasting the works of the flesh with the fruits of the spirit, living in service, subjecting ourselves to one another in love and humility.

These themes are not unique to Galatians, though; they can be found throughout all of Paul’s letters. Time and again, his message is one of security in our faith and of Christ’s love reflected in our lives. It is a simple message that sets us free from sin and makes us children of God, recipients of His grace and mercy.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Unity in Edification and Love

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be conceited. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

- Romans 12:9-18

The church at Corinth was one with problems. It was a congregation of differences and disputes, each group, no doubt, thinking they knew best. Each member of every faction within the group thinking they were the ones in the right. Time and again in this letter, Paul comes back to the idea of thinking we know. These problems build up to chapters 12-14 and their focus on self in their spiritual gifts.

Some members at Corinth feel superior to others because of the gifts they possess. By I Corinthians 14:1, Paul tells the group to let love be their guide after he carefully explains what love entails in chapter 13. Romans 14:19 expresses this idea as pursuing or seeking love. In this, Paul places an emphasis in exhortation. He defines what it means to be spiritual, and he makes a connection between love and unity.

Edification & Exhortation

Do we make edification a goal of our spirituality? Notice I Corinthians 14. Numerous times in this chapter, Paul writes of edification. In context, this congregation has individuals who wish to interrupt worship to demonstrate their own spiritual gifts, but Paul warns against setting our brothers and sisters at naught in amplifying self. Applying this to ourselves, do we place our preferences, our desires, our opinions ahead of the needs of our brothers and sisters?

We all have favorite topics of study; we have favorite songs to lift up before God; we have speakers with whom we connect better than others. We will never have unanimous, synonymous, and equal edification in every service. We have to be able to yield to our brethren, recognizing some things edify my brothers and sisters more than myself.

Returning to Romans 14:19, let us earnestly pursue peace and edification in our spiritual lives. Romans 15:2 and Ephesians 4:29 also remind us on the priority we should be giving to one another. So long as we are making the edification, the exhortation, and the consolation of one another our goal, then we will be likewise edified.

Defining Spirituality

In I Corinthians 14:37, Paul writes that we should pay attention to what he is writing if we think ourselves spiritual. Again, this in the context of elevating self and imposing self on worshipping God. Do we know what it means to be spiritual? Is it simply having been baptized? Is it observing the Lord’s Supper? Is it the ability to lead in worship? Do we look at our own contributions to our congregations to define our level of spirituality.

I Corinthians 10:1-5 uses our spiritual forerunners as examples, having been baptized in the cloud and sea, having drunk from a spiritual rock. God, however, was not pleased with them despite these evidences of spirituality. Hebrews 6 speaks of those who consider themselves spiritual but have fallen away from enlightenment.

It is not the outward that brings us closer to God. Rather, it is what comes from inside; it is the meaning behind our worship. True spirituality is seen in our devotion to God and our devotion to one another. John 4:24 calls for spiritual worship rooted in truth. In I Peter 2:5 calls us to offer spiritual sacrifices, and Hebrews 13:15-16 calls helping one another pleasing sacrifice to God. Finally, Hebrews 6:9-10 calls on us to work love toward one another, working toward salvation in that.

Love & Unity

We sometimes treat I Corinthians 13 as if it stands alone from the rest of the book, but it comes in the middle of this discussion on unity and edification in the face of a splintering congregation. Ephesians 4:1-4, Colossians 3:13-14, Philippians 2:1-5, John 13:34-35 – these and more tell us to work for unity in love, being patient with one another. Paul illustrates this in I Corinthians 12, comparing the numerous members of the physical body with the diversity found in the body of Christ.

Just as a human body is united in its efforts to care for every part, so too should we care for each other. We may not perceive ourselves as important as other members, but Paul makes it clear we are all essential. We are all needed, and we should all be unified in our work for the Lord. We may not have unanimity, but we can have unity. Remember Psalm 133, describing the beauty of brotherly love and unity, comparing it to that first consecration of God’s priesthood and to the water that starts as dew on a mountain that will flow into rivers and lakes below.

Conclusion

We are perhaps more similar to the church at Corinth than we are willing to admit. We can grow closer in unity, though, if we can focus on unity in love, developing a true sense of spirituality, and prioritizing our brothers and sisters over ourselves. We can be a whole body by placing self aside, de-emphasizing our own desires and opinions, and by lifting each other up to the Lord as we work together toward Heaven.

lesson by Tim Smelser

The Voice In Our Heads

Guilt can either draw us closer to God or drive us farther from Him. The same can be true of the absence thereof. We can look at numerous examples in the Old and New Testaments – David, Judas, Peter, the congregation at Corinth – and see these variations illustrated. We feel guilt, for better or for worse, because we have consciences. We speak of having a good conscience, of having a guilty conscience, of having a clean conscience. This quality God has given us plays a large role in our lives.

The Role of Conscience

In Romans 2:14-16, Paul writes that our consciences guide us toward doing what is right in God’s law whether or not we know that law. To an extent, the conscience judges or justifies our actions. In Romans 9:1-2, Paul speaks of his own conscience, bearing witness to his concern for his fellow man. II Corinthians 1:12 speaks of the testimony of the conscience. It prompts us toward obedience or chastens us for disobedience.

In the context of Romans 14, we know that conscience can be a sensitive things, and this chapter concludes that we can sin based on the doubts of our conscience. We often make light of this concept, but God takes it seriously as an instrument to help guide our actions. When we cannot do something in good conscience, we are falling into sin.

Conditioning Our Consciences

Unfortunately, we can train and condition our consciences. In Acts 23, when Paul stands before the Sanhedrin, Paul says he had been living in all good conscience before God, even before he was converted. Remember, as a Pharisee, he would imprison Christians, hurt them, and even put them to death. This is a man who once saw Jesus as a hoax, but His zeal trained his conscience to harden against these violent acts.

We can take this natural guide and turn it into something unnatural. We can train ourselves to see that which is wrong as something acceptable, even praiseworthy. In the first few verses of I Timothy 4, Paul writes that our consciences can be cauterized. It loses all feeling and sensation toward those behaviors we repeat again and again. Our sin my hurt at first, but we slowly callous our hearts until we no longer feel that pain. The ultimate result is in Titus 1:15 – a defiled mind and conscious that denies God.

Reconditioning Our Consciences

The subject of conscience is a serious one. We ought not dismiss it when that voice in our head warns us against our actions. I Timothy 1:5 tells us to love with a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. I Timothy 3:9-10 calls for those who would be spiritual leaders to have a clear and blameless conscience, and Hebrews 9:8-9, in the context of contrasting the old covenant with the new, the author speaks of having a perfected conscience. According to Hebrews 10:22, we can cleanse our consciences by the forgiveness of sin through Christ Jesus.

We should remember tender and pure in our consciences, training it to follow after God’s word, remaining clean of the guilt of this world. We can share our faith with the good conscience of I Peter 3:14-16 if we but sanctify Him as Lord in our lives.

lesson by Tim Smelser

A Mother Named Mary

One mother has become very important in modern religion – Mary, the mother of Christ. She was declared sinless by the papacy in 1537. Following that comes the doctrine of her immaculate conception and her perpetual virginity. Then comes the doctrine of her bodily ascension into heaven. She is called Queen of Heaven, Co-Mediatrix, and Co-Redemptrix. Many conservative Christians go to the opposite extreme with Mary. In response her deification in some religious circles, we tend to relegate her to a minor role and fail to give her the honor she is due.

A Woman Named Mary

We meet her in Luke 1 as a chaste maiden, pure in the sight of God. Verses 28 and 30 calls her one finding favor in God’s eyes. Noah in Genesis 6:8, Moses in Exodus 33:12, Hannah in I Samuel 1:18 – these are a few of the individuals who have found favor in God’s eyes. This is a term also used in Isaiah 61, signifying the coming of the Messiah. At first, she is troubled by the angel’s appearance, but her response is one of submission and humility in verse 38.

As we continue in Luke 1, she goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth, and we see her song of praise that begins in verse 46, magnifying God for His role in her life. (Remember also that this role would create a small scandal around Jesus’ birth, bringing question to her honor and to her Son’s.) She speaks of God’s mercy and generosity, His strength and His power, and she remembers His promises to His people in verses 54-55. Contrast this response to Moses’ when he is tasked with fulfilling God’s work in Exodus. Who would we resemble under similar circumstances?

A Devoted Mother and Servant

In Luke 2, we see Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem where she gives birth to Jesus in a humble manger, for all inns are full. We know the events surrounding Jesus’ birth, and verse 19 tells us Mary pondered all these signs and events in her heart. Again, we see no record of complaining or sorrow over her fate. She is quiet and devout. In verses 21 and after, they follow the word of the law surrounding the birth of a child.

Beginning in Luke 2:41, we see they regularly go to Jerusalem for Passover, and, when Jesus is twelve years old, we see Mary and Joseph lose track of Jesus this year, finding Him debating the priests in the temple. Again, verse 51, Mary keeps these events in her heart. That verse also gives us the only brief look we have at Jesus’ home life, living in submission to His earthly parents.

John 2 sees Mary invited to a wedding feast at which Jesus is present. She comes to Him when the wine runs out, a symbol of God’s blessings in this setting, and she turns to the servants, instructing them to do anything her Son says. She grows to have faith in Jesus.

Then, we see Mary standing before the cross. When so many have fled Jesus, have denied Jesus, have hidden in fear, Mary is there for her Son and her Savior. She sees the child she raised die, seeing the Redeemer of Israel give Himself up to the cross. In this same setting, in John 19, we see Jesus’ own devotion to His mother. He makes sure she will be cared for after He is gone and trusts her care to one of His closest friends.

An Inspiration for Us

We know little of Mary, but we see Mary accepts her place in God’s plan. She rejoices in a time that would bring her shame and ridicule from the world. She illustrates her faith in the few glimpses we have, and we see the devotion in her relationship with Jesus at the cross. The last we see of Mary is in Acts 1:12-14, where she is in Jerusalem with her other children and the apostles, preparing for the events at Pentecost.

She is an astounding woman, wife, mother, and servant of the Lord. We sometimes fail to be the examples we should be, but we can read of Mary’s life, see the souls entrusted to her by God, and see an example of the devotion we should have to God and our own families. Those qualities we see in Mary is what God and others should see when they look at us.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Psalm 113

Many of us have songs that take us back to a place, remind us of important events, or remind us of a specific person. It is no different for the saints of old. In Matthew 26:30, Jesus and His apostles sing a hymn after the last supper. Psalm 113 is the beginning of the Hallel songs that would be sing at Passover, and it would have likely been the first of the songs sung at that Passover feast in the upper room.

Imagine the setting where Jesus is singing these words, knowing he would soon be betrayed and crucified. Do the words to this psalm take Jesus back to a place He once occupied, not scorned or ridiculed, but Creator? Would verses 5-7 take deeper meaning, sacrificing Himself to lift up those in need of salvation? Does the song bring any sense of doubt or apprehension in our Savior, or does He gain resolve, knowing these people need Him?

This psalm would have been sung every year of His life at Passover, a reminder of how much man needs God’s intervention and how much He has done for us. After this Passover, however, Jesus finds the resolve and strength to go to the cross. Songs may remind us of many things, when we read Psalm 113, we should be reminded of how much we need our Savior and how much He has done for us. We can be taken back to that fateful Passover night, see the resolve He has in going to the cross and commit ourselves to having the same resolve in our spiritual lives.

lesson by Tim Smelser