• The Bible Studies for Life lesson for July 27 focuses on 1 Peter 2:13-23.

Driving in a large metropolitan area can be dangerous. Speed limits are posted, but we reason if we don’t exceed them, we will be run over. Recently, I was sitting at a stoplight waiting for the light to change. When the light turned green, I didn’t immediately start through the intersection. It was a good thing, because a van came barreling through the red light and would have broadsided my car. What exactly did that red light mean to the other driver?

Speed limits and stop signs are examples of authority to which we are to submit. Too often, we ignore them because they seem an inconvenience in our busy lives. How do we as Christ-followers deal with those in authority over us?

Our submission to authority is a reflection of our faith in God. Allow the teaching of Peter to encourage you to endure in your faith as you voluntarily obey those who make our laws and write our paychecks.

Submit for the Lord’s sake

American culture is one of the most individualistic in the world. We fight for our freedom and don’t want others telling us how to live our lives. Even stop signs and speed limits can cramp our style. The word “submit” wrangles nerves both inside and outside the body of Christ. Perhaps it is because that term has been misunderstood and misused.

In 1 Peter 2:13, the Apostle Peter uses the Greek military term, “submit” to describe how Christians in the first century church were to live in relationship to human authority. This term meant to arrange the troops under the command of a leader. The concept includes the idea of voluntary cooperation and being subject to another.

You see the idea of voluntary obedience as Peter says, “Submit yourself.” Why were the Christians told to do that? It was for the Lord’s sake. This was a choice the followers of Jesus made. They chose to come under the authority of the emperor and his governors.

Some in the first century said Christians were against Rome. To defy Rome amounted to a sentence of death. The emperor really didn’t care what people believed as long as they gave their highest allegiance to him.

Jesus taught his followers to give to Caesar what was due him, as well as giving to God what belonged to God (Luke 20:25). The religious rulers of Jesus day made alliances to protect their positions of power. As Jesus stood trial before Pilate, the chief priests declared, “We have no king but Caesar” (John 19:15). They denied God as their king.

Peter is encouraging the church to honor God as their king by willingly submitting to the authority of the emperor and his governors. This was the will of God. By doing good, they would silence the foolish and ignorant talk of those who wanted to do them in.

Why submit to leaders?

How could God ask us to do that in our day? Doesn’t he see what is happening to our nation because of laws made and decisions handed down from our courts? Why should we submit to our leaders?

As bad as we may think our leaders are, consider who was ruling as emperor when Peter wrote this epistle. From 54 A.D. to 68 A.D., the emperor was Nero—a godless, brutal man who had many Christians killed. It was to this man Peter is telling the church to submit for God’s sake.

Peter goes on to teach them not to use their freedom as a cover-up for evil (1 Peter 2:16). In prior lessons, we’ve been reminded as new creatures in Christ, we are to live a new way of life as strangers who have a reverent fear of God.

We bear the name of our king. What people think of him often is determined by how we choose to live. Peter tells us to “show proper respect to everyone” by loving other believers, fearing God and honoring the king.

Bear up under suffering

Again in 1 Peter 2:18, Peter teaches submission with respect. This time he uses the master-slave relationship as the example. He acknowledged some masters treated their slaves well. He also knew many did not.

This is a hard teaching that in good and bad situations we are to respectfully and voluntarily come under the authority of a master or in today’s words, an employer.

Peter says if you receive a beating because you have done something wrong, you are not impressing God. However, if you endure suffering because you belong to Christ you are commended before God (v. 20). Doesn’t seem fair, does it?

Was it fair for the sinless Son of God to be beaten instead of us when he had done nothing wrong? Why did he endure such vile attacks? “He entrusted himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23b). He submitted himself to the will of his Father so we would know the forgiveness of sin. He suffered for our sake.

Men and women suffer today because they belong to Christ. They would rather go to prison, be beaten and even die than deny they belong to him. My heart is stirred by the example of men and women whose faith endures in the face of persecution meant to break them. No amount of physical and emotional abuse could steal their joy. Praise rises from their lips. Their lives are a living testimony of enduring faith in a faithful God. God uses their suffering to lead many more to know him. Can he use your life in the same way today? Will you submit for his sake?

• The BaptistWay lesson for July 27 focuses on Psalm 24:1-6; Ephesians 5:1-16.

Baptist attempts to promote purity

When we think of purity, we often associate it with what we do not do in order to achieve and remain in that state. LifeWay recently updated and revised its True Love Waits abstinence curriculum geared towards teenagers. I remember going through the material as a teenager when our church hosted a True Love Waits weekend. We spent Friday and Saturday going to Bible studies, worship services and hearing testimonies about the priority of waiting until marriage to engage in sexual intercourse.

The weekend culminated in signing a pledge on Sunday morning during our worship service to remain sexually pure, and the pledge was framed and hung in our church foyer. As a teenager who did not come from a church family, this was the first time I was exposed to the idea of abstinence, and it made quite an impression.

Not long after this experience, I enrolled at East Texas Baptist University. ETBU had conservative policies regarding curfews and co-ed mingling within individual dorm rooms. My fiancé and I spent several dates driving around the small town of Marshall, sitting in coffee shops and dormitory lobbies, and going on walks through campus because of these policies. During the times we were allowed in each other’s dorm rooms—a block of about four hours three days of the week—the resident assistant on duty checked on us regularly. Couples were not allowed to share blankets or to sit with their feet off the floor while sharing the same piece of furniture.

What Scripture prohibits

In many ways, I’m thankful for these safeguards. They served as a way to keep us accountable by focusing on things we could do to keep us from engaging in actions that would lead to impurity. When examining the Scriptures for this week, we certainly see one side of maintaining purity focuses on prohibitions. Psalm 24:3-4 rhetorically asks and answers: “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.”

The Apostle Paul gives even more specific prohibitions in Ephesians 5:3-7: “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.

Therefore do not be partners with them.” These prohibitions are mentioned because they are the antithesis of what a pure life in the Lord looks like. Both authors provide tangible examples—we might call them sermon illustrations today—of characteristics that should cause people to pause, take note and strive for change if/when they find themselves engaging in them. What they are not intended to be is a checklist or a path one can follow that will guarantee a pure life. Purity is not a result of what we passively refrain from, but of that in which we actively participate.

What Scripture prescribes

In addition and above what these Scripture prohibit, take note of what they prescribe: “They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, God of Jacob” (Psalm 24:5-6).

In addition, Paul sprinkles admonitions before and after his description of how the impure live: “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:1-2); “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord” (Ephesians 5:8-10).

Seek God’s face, follow God’s example, walk in love, live as children of light—these are the way Scriptures actively prescribe living a life of purity. I love what Rachael Held Evans says about decentralizing what is prohibited to maintain purity, and promoting what is prescribed to foster growth in purity and holiness:

“Perhaps instead of virginity… we ought to talk about the path of holiness. Holiness, to me, means committing every area of my life— from sex, to food, to time, to work—to the lordship of Jesus. It means asking how I might love God and love my neighbors in those areas so that the Spirit can grow love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control in the sacred soil of everyday life. Holiness isn’t about sticking to a list of rules. It isn’t something you either have or don’t have, keep or lose. It’s a way of life, filled with twists and turns, mistakes and growth, uncertainty and reward.”

In spite of what you have or haven’t done in the past, how are you growing in purity and holiness today?

• The Bible Studies for Life lesson for July 20 focuses on 1 Peter 1:14-19, 22-25.

How would you describe your faith? Active: working, vigorous, dynamic, full of life? Passive: inactive, unreceptive, still, lifeless? The life of an authentic follower of Jesus exhibits active faith.

Faith is more than head knowledge of facts about God. The word “faith” in Greek is pistis. It has three elements—a firm conviction that results in a personal surrender of one’s self to Christ, which inspires conduct as a result of that surrender.

Said another way, the one who has faith is completely convinced Jesus can save and gives his/her life totally to Christ. When that occurs, a new way of living begins that is very different from the old.

Let’s be very clear. We do not earn our salvation. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). The Apostle Paul goes on to teach, “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). This is active faith.

Living an active faith

How does one live in active faith? 1 Peter 1:14-22 tells us. First, we are not to conform any longer to our old way of life, which was shaped by our evil desires. We didn’t know any other way to live because we lived in ignorance of God. When we give our lives to Christ, we become obedient to his teachings. Ephesians 4:17-6:18 paints the picture of putting off the old self and putting on the new. As that work is done within us, it changes how we relate to family, friends and the people we work with. They should notice the difference in us.

Second, we are to be holy. Holiness is not about being better than someone else. We do not compare ourselves to other sinful human beings to know if we are living holy lives. We place our lives up against a holy God.

Consider the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 6) and the missionary/apostle Paul (1Timothy 1:12-17). Both men encountered a holy God and in the presence of his “otherness” saw what sinners they were. When Isaiah saw his sin and the sin of the people around him, he said he was ruined. Paul said he was the worst sinner on the planet. If these men compared themselves against the men of their day, they would have been held up as perhaps the “most holy,” but they never could stand up against the holiness of their God. Neither can we.

When we surrender our lives completely to Christ, his holiness is given to us and lived out through us. We are to be holy because our heavenly Father is holy. We are set apart for God’s purposes. Ask yourself again, “How is my life different from those who don’t know Christ?” Would someone want to know Christ if you were the only person they knew who represented him? Sadly, too many in our world turn away from God because those who claim to belong to him live in ways that do not exhibit his holiness.

Next, Peter tells us to live as “strangers here in reverent fear” (1 Peter 1:17). An old song rightly says: “This world is not my home. I’m just a-passin’ through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door, and I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.”

The reverent fear of God

What is reverent fear? It is the strong respect a follower of Christ has for the Lord Almighty. While we are not afraid of God in the sense we hesitate to approach him, we are very mindful God is all-powerful and Lord of all. Gold and silver did not purchase our salvation. The precious blood of Christ redeemed us from the “empty way of life handed down … from our forefathers” (1 Peter 1:18). In light of what Christ has done for us, we give him the honor he is due. A casual, nonchalant attitude is the opposite of reverent fear.

Last, active faith is expressed by loving one another deeply from sincere hearts. A Woman’s Missionary Union of Texas team of nine women just returned from Spain. Each one paid her own way, took vacation, and left family to show and tell people of God’s love.

Prior to their leaving, others made more than 50 twin quilts for the team to give to senior adults. Lovingly, they cut, pieced together and quilted material. One woman alone quilted 36 quilts.

Most of those who received the quilts don’t know our holy God. They don’t know Christ died for them and came to give them new life. Some are nearing the end of their earthly life. Perhaps the gift of a quilt given by women who love God and others deeply will be the catalyst to open their hearts and minds to Christ.

Enduring word

The same truth that transformed the lives of those who read Peter’s epistle 2,000 years ago speaks to us today. How is that possible? “The word of the Lord stands forever” (1 Peter 1:25).

We are reminded our lives are like grass that withers and dies. Our glory is like the flowers that bloom and then drop their petals. When the enduring word of God takes root in our lives and active faith is born, we move from death to life. His imperishable seed planted in our hearts cannot die. Thank God for faith that is active in your life today.

• The Explore the Bible lesson for July 20 focuses on Ezekiel 43:1-12.

The Christian singing group Third Day sings “These Thousand Hills.” The lyrics include these words: “These thousand hills roll ever on, in footprints of a mighty God. They bring me to my knees in praise. These thousand hills roll ever on, ripples of a coming storm. The morning star precedes the dawn. These thousand hills roll ever on.”

Ezekiel looked east from the temple and saw something no one ever had seen before. Surely, on some other occasions, he’d looked out the east gate and seen the landscape that hadn’t changed for millennia. This time, however, a visitor from God took him to the gate to see something new, the coming glory of God.

God’s coming glory

Ezekiel tries to describe it, but his words can’t reach around it all. What he does tell us is the sight of God’s coming glory was so overwhelming he fell on his face in worship, much like Third Day sings. When we catch a glimpse of God’s true nature, it’s impossible not to get lost in worship.

We don’t know exactly what the “glory” of the Lord looked like to Ezekiel. We only know two things. Again, it drove Ezekiel to his knees, and it filled the entire temple with the unquestionable presence of God.

One morning, I was on my way to work, a little stressed out at the thought of what was ahead. Monthly goals had to be reached, and time was running very short. Dying people needed hospice care that was mine alone to give. It just seemed a little daunting.

On my car stereo, I was listening to the beautiful song “Ava Maria” as Josh Groban renders it. My drive took me south to an intersection where I had to stop for a red light. Just about the time Groban reached the crescendo of the song, the light turned green, and I turned east. That’s when I saw it.

This is God’s world

Early morning gray clouds covered the sky. Yet where the sun was rising, shafts of white light had broken through the clouds, spilling themselves onto the earth just coming to life on a new day. Tears filled my eyes as the music and the sight came together as one to remind me of the glory of God, that this is God’s world and that I can trust God for all I need.

That’s hardly what Ezekiel saw, but it was all I needed to get through the day—a reminder of God, of God’s glory and God’s unfailing presence. God told Ezekiel he had, in essence, come to reclaim the temple. That false, empty worship would no longer be tolerated. That God wanted more than people simply going through the motions. God wanted people who came into the temple to experience his presence and holiness in personally transforming ways.

A friend once related an experience he had with worship. In the church in which he was raised, he said, the worship bulletin never changed. The exact number of hymns always was the same. The offering always was taken at the same time. Everything about worship in his home church had become so rote, people simply went through the motions without full consideration of the meaning of it all.

One particular Sunday, as the ushers came forward to receive the morning offering, the pastor, as usual, called on one of the ushers to pray the offertory prayer. The usher graciously complied and prayed these words. “Dear God, please let something happen in this worship service that isn’t printed in the bulletin.” The next Sunday, the order of service as printed in the bulletin had been changed.

True worship

It’s not uncommon in church life for the institution built to support worship to become the focus of worship instead of the God it was meant to honor. When anything replaces holy God as the true focus of worship, true worship ceases to happen.

Souls grow hungry, and people are lost in the shuffle. Massive amounts of money are invested in propping up the brick and mortar instead of being invested in helping change lives. With rarest exception, a church’s budget is the truest witness to its real mission, no matter how the church’s mission statement reads.

God instructed Ezekiel to speak prophetically to the people, to remind them whose temple it was and what true worship involved. True worship demands integrity in public worship and private life so the two become one. Otherwise, hypocrisy replaces worship, and God is not pleased.

Beyond that, those who need to experience worship—who beg God to do something not printed in the bulletin—go away disappointed and, perhaps, seeking God in other places. The glory of God seeks to be revealed each time we gather for worship. The only question is whether, like Ezekiel, we have the courage to face the east and see what God is bringing.

• The BaptistWay lesson for July 20 focuses on Luke 11:1-13; 18:1-8.

I almost hesitate to comment on the discipline of prayer. So much has been written that turns it into something it is not.

Seven years ago, a book called The Prayer of Jabez hit Christian book stores and sold millions. It promised if a person prayed an obscure prayer in the Old Testament tied to a specific context and not repeated anywhere else in Scripture, God would have to respond favorably to whomever prayed it.

Derek Webb, then a member of the band Caedmon’s Call, tells a story about an appearance he had to make along with the band at a convention that Christian bookstore suppliers attended to preview upcoming products. Bruce Wilkinson, the author of the bestselling book, stood on stage and pitched the book to potential buyers. Following his pitch, he had an altar call where he encouraged everyone to take the “Jabez Challenge” and pray the prayer he outlined for 30 days. He promised at the end of those 30 days their stores already would be on their way to being more profitable than they were in the previous year.

This is a tempting promise, but it is not a biblical one. When Jesus speaks about prayer in this week’s Scriptures, the certainty of material gain never is mentioned. And in my opinion, Jesus makes a far superior authority and example for our prayer lives than Jabez.

God before us

Perhaps the most prominent takeaway from Luke’s short and simple version of the Lord’s Prayer in 11:2-4 is simply that our concern for and about God should come before ourselves. This idea not only defies the formula outlined in The Prayer of Jabez, but also the way many of us pray during Bible studies, small groups and prayer meetings.

Most churches have some kind of prayer list. It might be utilized on Wednesday nights, printed on the bulletin or mailed out in the newsletter. Almost always, without fail, the items mentioned on that list will have to do with sick people. While there is nothing wrong with praying for the sick—we are commanded to do so in the book of James—this is only one small aspect of how we are to engage God in prayer. During Bible studies it is common to ask the question, “Are there any prayer requests?” Again, while this is a perfectly acceptable question, when considered in isolation, it communicates that our needs, wants and wishes take precedence over God.

To keep yourself from praying in this lopsided manner, you may want to begin your prayer time with Scripture. Many have found the revised common lectionary (type this phrase into an Internet search engine if you are not familiar with it) to be a helpful tool in guiding devotional times around selected Scriptures. When you begin first by reading and meditating on God’s word and then transition into prayer time, chances are greater your prayer will start with God instead of yourself.

Us before stuff

At the same time, God cares immensely about our needs and concerns. I would dare say he also cares about what we want, but not nearly as much as about what we need and what he wants for us. “Give us each day our daily bread” (11:3) from the Lord’s Prayer is a familiar reminder of how Jesus modeled this aspect of prayer.

I recently preached about praying in the midst of both sickness and health. As I was preparing, I sent out an email asking for testimonials from the congregation about how health had affected their prayer life.

One man who had just turned 50 admitted: “I remember in my younger years being amused about why older folks would sit around discussing their health. … Now I do the same thing 25-30 years later. Our health (especially when bad or declining) makes us focus on ourselves more and more. But we are supposed to focus on God’s kingdom, living in Christ and ministering to other saints. Maybe God allows aches, pains and serious health problems so we stay dependent on him. I struggle to give God praise and glory when my back hurts or my knee aches and limits my mobility. But I am encouraged by the Spirit ‘to be satisfied in all circumstances and situations.’ This is our temporary home, and this body will pass away.”

His honest words and sentiments poignantly capture the temptation we all have to make prayer so narrowly focused it lacks a sense of divine vision. Daily provision, forgiveness and holy living are given priority over our wants and desires in the Lord’s prayer.

Persistence before formality

This does not mean asking with boldness is not appropriate. On the contrary, the imagery Jesus provides in 11:9-13 and 18:1-6 suggests God delights in us continually approaching him and in giving us what we need.

In Prayer: Does it Make any Difference, Philip Yancey asserts: “Prayer remains a struggle for me. On the other hand, so does forgiving someone who has wronged me. So does loving my neighbor. So does caring for the needy. I persist because I am fulfilling God’s command, and also because I believe I am doing what is best for me whether or not I feel like it at the time. Moreover, I believe that my perseverance, in some unfathomable way, brings pleasure to God. We should always pray and not give up, Jesus taught.”

Don’t be concerned if your prayer life also is a struggle. Be concerned if you have stopped struggling in prayer.

• The Bible Studies for Life lesson for July 13 focuses on 1 Peter 1:3-9, 13.

Every person on Earth lives by faith. Each one trusts in something or someone. The object of faith, however, varies greatly.

Where do you place your faith? Is your faith based on wishful thinking? “Sure hope it rains, so my garden will grow.” “Maybe this will be the year the Cowboys win the Super Bowl.” The outcome of either one of those statements is based on an it-might-or-it-might-not-happen hope.

As followers of Christ, our confident assurance is not based on wishful thinking. We are to fix our lives on Jesus Christ who is our sure hope. In him, we live, move and have our being.

Christ’s finished work

In his first epistle, Peter wrote to people scattered throughout the world because of persecution. Suffering, prejudice and death were not uncommon experiences for the first century church. What kept them from giving up and denouncing their faith? It was their faith in Christ alone.

In 1 Peter 1:3-4, the apostle speaks of the new birth given by a merciful Father to those who believe in the resurrected Christ. Those who receive this new life through Jesus now experience a living hope. This hope brings an inheritance that cannot expire, disappear or ruin.

It is tempting to put our hope in our circumstances, our plans or our bank accounts. Our circumstances change in ways we never could predict. In the blink of an eye, lives are altered in big and small ways. The economy takes a downward turn, and our finances are ruined.

Christ is our living hope in which we have confident assurance. He never will die, because he defeated sin and death on the cross. Those who put their trust in him will not die either. In the finished work of Christ on the cross, our hope is made secure.

Refined by fire

From the moment we receive Christ until we stand before him face-to-face, we are being changed, saved and transformed from the inside out. We live in a fallen world and have to deal with the consequences of sin. Peter reminds us we are shielded by God’s power (v. 5) throughout our journey. Even as our Savior suffered, so will we. Why are we surprised when people disagree with our beliefs, mock our faith or seek to silence our voices?

God uses these difficult times in our lives to refine us. Peter says our faith is more valuable than gold (v. 7). Even gold will perish, but a faith made strong through all kinds of trials will endure to the end. It will bring honor, glory and praise to Jesus when he is revealed fully.

Many in the world today understand the refiner’s fire. They live under repressive governments who persecute them for following Christ. In his book, The Insanity of God, Nik Ripken gives a riveting account of faith lessons learned from the persecuted church.

Nik heard Stoyan’s (his name means “stand firm”) story of a focused faith that helped him survive prison and persecution.

Stoyan: I thank God, and I take great joy in knowing that I was suffering in prison in my country, so that you, Nik, could be free to share Jesus in Kentucky.

Nik: Oh no. No! You are not going to do that! You are not going to put that on me. That is a debt so large that I can never repay you.

Stoyan: Son, that’s the debt of the cross! Don’t steal my joy! I took great joy that I was suffering in my country, so that you could be free to witness in your country.

Christ suffered for us so we can be free. For whom do we take great joy in our suffering so they can be free to know Jesus?

Yet to come

Through faith, we love a God we do not see. We believe in a faithful, steadfast God who fills us with joy almost beyond description. An old preacher once proclaimed: “We were saved. We are being saved. We will be saved.” The end goal of our faith is the salvation of our souls (vv. 8-9). We don’t just wait for heaven to enjoy our salvation. It is something we experience now with growing understanding because of the knowledge we gain about the work of Christ in us.

As we wait for that day to stand in Christ’s presence, Peter gives us three things to equip us for what is yet to come (v. 13). First, he tells us to prepare our minds for action. His words are reminiscent of Paul’s in Romans 12:2: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

The second admonition is to be self-controlled. In 1 Peter 5:8-9 he expands his teaching: “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

He also urges us to set our hope fully on grace. Our confident assurance is focused solely in Jesus. He is the author and perfecter of our faith. He endured scorn and shame for our sake so we might live with him. Why did Jesus do that for us? “So that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:3).

• The Explore the Bible lesson for July 13 focuses on Ezekiel 37:1-3, 11-14, 23-28.

It may not seem this way at the moment. You find yourself standing atop a hill looking back at what you’ve made of your life. It looks a great deal like the valley of bones Ezekiel was observing. All you can see are the skeletal remains of what once was, of what could have been.

It can be a very discouraging moment. Maybe it’s a broken family or a lost career. Maybe it’s your physical health or the health of someone you love more than yourself. Maybe it’s even the skeletal remains of the church in which you’ve invested your tithes, offerings and energy for decades. Now, all that remains are the bones.

For many of us, becoming a Christian was the next natural step we took in our family faith tradition. It’s when we’re standing atop a hill looking down on the valley of the skeletal remains of what might have been that the gospel has the first real chance to change our lives.

Shall these bones live?

We shouldn’t be surprised if the first introduction the gospel brings into our lives comes in the form of a question. “‘Son of man, can these bones live?’” (Ezekiel 37:3) How we answer that question is everything.

Can what has no life have life? Can what once had life have life again? Can the skeletal remains of our dead dreams, our dead lives, have life, new life, life they never had. Those are the gospel questions posed to us every single day in one way or another.

Is there more to life than just punching the corporate clock, getting the next promotion or raise only to have more money so we can collect more bones? Is there more to life than what we can see looking back on dreams that once were but are no more?

Where is hope?

It is so easy in those moments to draw the same conclusion as the people of Israel: “‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off’” (Ezekiel 37:11). What we often don’t realize when our hope is lost, that is the very moment God has a chance of becoming our new hope.

In that moment, God spoke to Ezekiel the words of gospel hope. “‘I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord’” (Ezekiel 37:14).

After I recently took my car through the car wash, sure enough, it rained the next day. All that money just went down the drain, literally. What had been a shiny new coat on the outside of the car now was a dusty remnant of what had been.

For some reason, while regretting the waste of the car wash, I looked up on the windshield and saw the oil change tag. It reminded me my oil change was way overdue. While I was focusing on how good my car looked on the outside, my engine was choking to death on the sludge that was once clean oil.

Transformation from the inside out

Maybe that’s one reason the Lord used dried up bones to speak to Ezekiel. True change and transformation happens from the inside out. God didn’t promise Ezekiel the bones would come together, clothed in the finest garments and living in the finest homes. God promised he would, first, put his Spirit in them, give them life from the inside.

That’s when the real change would take place. What had once been nothing more than a valley of dry bones would become what God promised. “‘I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God’” (Ezekiel 37:23). With God’s Spirit becoming the sinew, the muscle, the blood that enlivened the old dead bones, the people of Israel would have a totally new identity as the very people of God.

The promise of the gospel is the same. “To all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). In Christ, we don’t simply change the way we look on the outside. Our very lives are changed from within; we’re given new hearts, new reasons for living, a living hope (1 Peter 1:3).

The moment we stand atop a hill looking down on the skeletal remains of what might have been may be the greatest day of our lives. It may be the first time in our lives we hear God ask if those bones can live again and then promise that, through faith in Christ, they’ll have a life like they never could have imagined.

• The BaptistWay lesson for July 13 focuses on 1 Samuel 15:1-35.

This week’s text is difficult for many reasons, the greatest perhaps being the task Saul is given from God—to completely wipe out the Amalekites. Part of me never will be comfortable with this.

You’ve likely heard the reasons used to soften its offense to our sensibilities: 1) God was using violent means within a violent culture; 2) God was taking measures to preserve his people from impurity; 3) God was doing what was necessary, but did not necessarily take joy in it. While these points are true and worth stating, they do not detract from God explicitly commanding Saul to commit genocide. In spite of his long-term plan, the evil of the people or his particular disposition, I will never be 100 percent at ease with this section in the Bible.

That it makes most people uncomfortable demonstrates the potential it has to teach some important things about obedience. As we draw lessons from it, we must be careful of making an exact, one-to-one comparison between our situation and Saul’s. Saul’s situation was unique, so unique it is unlikely anyone will find himself or herself in a similar one.

We must not use this text to justify breaking the law or engaging in immoral activity simply because “God told us to do it.” Rather, we must use it as a general guide to help understand how obedience functions under God’s authority.

Be sure of God’s command

For Saul, there was no question what God was commanding him to do. He received God’s message from Samuel, who was considered a prophet and God’s mouthpiece (vv. 1-3). While prophecy is mentioned as a spiritual gift in the New Testament, there is no position today that carries the weight and authority as the one Samuel had as both a prophet and an adviser to the king. During this period, this was God’s primary way of speaking to people and unveiling his will. Considering this, it is astounding Saul even considered disobedience.

On the other hand, Saul was a person with his own wishes, will and desires. That is something to which we certainly can relate. While God does not speak through anointed prophets in the same way he did in Saul’s day, we all have felt the conflict that comes with discerning the difference between obeying God and our own desires. In his biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s life, Eric Metaxes quotes a portion of Bonhoeffer’s diary from 1928 that demonstrates the tension he experienced between obedience and his own desires: “I myself find the way such a decision comes about to be problematic.

One thing is clear to me, however, that one personally—that is, consciously—has very little control over the ultimate yes or no, but rather that time decides everything. Maybe not with everybody, but in any event with me. Recently, I have noticed again and again that all the decisions I had to make were not really my own decisions.”

Perhaps the best way to distinguish between a direct, specific command of God that requires obedience is to question how we would respond if our faith played no role. If we cannot make the same decision as a follower of Christ, then the decision is not really ours to make. It is obedience to be observed.

Obey completely

Just how should we observe obedience? There is only one way—completely. If you are convinced God has spoken, as Saul was, there should not be anything holding you back.

Unfortunately, something held Saul back. Instead of destroying the Amalekites completely, he spared their leader and the best of their livestock (v. 9). When confronted by Samuel, he justifies his actions with some clever reasoning: “‘But I did obey the Lord,’ Saul said. ‘I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal”’ (vv. 20-21). Samuel responds with God’s rejection of Saul as king (vv. 22-23), demonstrating partial obedience is disobedience to God.

I recently watched a movie called Ragamuffin about the life of Christian songwriter Rich Mullins, who is responsible for writing the song “Awesome God” sung by many churches. He moved to Nashville out of a conviction from God. He believed he had a unique voice that needed to be heard among the contemporary Christian music audience.

The problem he encountered was some found his words too harsh and unpleasant. In several scenes, he is portrayed arguing with music producers over his lyrics, and even is shown in one confrontation with a pastor over something he said during one of his concerts. In spite of the opposition he faced, he remained consistent in his message even in the threat of losing a recording contract.

Be aware of the consequences

Rich’s story leads us to one final admonition concerning obedience: Be aware of the consequences. There are consequences for both obedience and disobedience. Saul faced rejection as king as a result of his disobedience. Rich faced being misunderstood and losing his livelihood as a result of his obedience.

Obedience does not necessarily bring prosperity; it brings God’s blessing.

• The BaptistWay lesson for July 6 focuses on Proverbs 17:17 and 1 John 4:7-21.

My wife and I enjoy catching up on television shows two or three years after they have aired. This way, we can watch full seasons in a short time, instead of having to wait week after week for a new episode. Lately, we have been consumed in the world of Downton Abbey. I’ve become so involved in the lives of the characters, I almost feel as if I know each one of them.

Sometimes, I even find myself thinking in a British accent! The element that attracts us to the drama is that it is so unlike anything we’ve experienced in our own lives. As two middle-class Americans, British aristocracy is far from any type of life we’ve experienced.

Basic elements of human existence

In spite of this huge difference in lifestyle, I’ve been reminded that time, space and money still do not completely transform the basic elements of human existence. The characters have similar joys and struggles as other people, in spite of being so far removed from our culture and time period.

This was particularly impressed upon me when viewing the situation one of the housekeepers, Ethel, found herself in after in becoming pregnant out of wedlock. In those days, such an act was grounds to be fired and shunned. Finding herself destitute with no other way of taking care of her son, she turned to prostitution. After hearing how low she had sunk, the mother to the heir of Downton Abbey (Isobel Crawley), made arrangements for Ethel to work privately in her home as her maid and cook.

To say this was disturbing when discovered by the rest of the family is an understatement. Ethel’s former employer and head butler was livid Isobel would open up the family to the ridicule of being associated with such a person. While a few in the family saw the merit of what Isobel was doing, her actions were considered exceptional, not normal in such a situation.

Loving without fear

That’s often the way we view the unconditional love Jesus embodied and commanded us to live out—as the exception instead of the norm. As I watched the Downton Abbey episode, I couldn’t help but wonder what everyone was so afraid would happen by allowing Ethel to work for them. In their time and situation, their fear likely was understood, but that does not make it justified.

1 John 4:18 says: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” Love is not a feeling or a simple disposition one can pick up or leave. It is the lifestyle of people who believe the gospel and open themselves up to the love of God inside them (v. 12).

I do not know how to explain to anyone how to love. It’s not something you can check off as being completed or define in detail for every situation. It is simply how people lives who have received the Spirit of God (v. 13) and rely on the love they received in him to transform the way they relate to others (vv. 15-16).

Loving at all times

None of this is news to Christians. The Crawley family of Downton Abbey prided themselves as being Christians who were part of the Church of England. One dinner conversation even demonstrated knowledge of the kind of love Christians are to practice when someone spoke about Jesus associating with Mary Magdalene (in reference to the situation with Ethel).

The comment was answered with this snarky response: “Yes, Jesus allowed Mary Magdalene to wash his feet, not serve him dinner.” While the comment blatantly lacks knowledge of biblical context, it correctly demonstrates the indifference we can have for taking God’s love seriously.

Instead of loving unconditionally, we are inclined to love in a way that fits within our agenda and sense of appropriateness. In other words, it’s easy to be selectively loving. However, Proverbs 17:17 says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” Even before Christ modeled for people what sacrificial love looked like and the Holy Spirit indwelled believers to make this kind of love possible, the word of God was pointing the way toward God’s love as the standard.

For most people, regardless of what church they may or may not affiliate with, this is not the standard. They might participate in food drives and give to charity during the holidays out of a sense of obligation; but when given a chance to love radically, they recoil in the same way the Crawley family did without even realizing their hypocrisy.

Brennan Manning has said, “I am now convinced that on judgment day, the Lord Jesus is going to ask each of us one question, and only one question: ‘Did you believe that I loved you?’” What a powerful thought. Is that your belief? If so, how is it influencing the way you love others?

• The Bible Studies for Life lesson for July 6 focuses on Hebrews 6:17-20; 10:19-23.

In a world of broken promises, it often is difficult to describe faithfulness. What does it look like? At noon on Oct. 5, 1951, my parents were married. For almost 63 years, they have lived together in a committed relationship.

They raised a family, built a business and cared for aging parents. They had years when finances were good, everyone was healthy and stress was at a minimum. There also were years when finances weren’t good. Health issues arose. They watched a child go through divorce. Their relationship was strained.

Through it all, they have continued to love one another and stay together when, at times, it would have been easier to give up and walk away. They are devoted totally to one another and would not think of betraying the other. They are an example of faithfulness.

My parents’ example pales in comparison to the faithfulness of our holy God. He is not like us. He is totally and completely faithful. The writer of Hebrews helps us understand the faithfulness of our unchanging God.

God’s unchanging nature

God is a promise maker. We can depend on his promises because he is a promise keeper. Hebrews 6:13-20 is a passage that addresses the certainty of God’s promises to his children.

Children on the playground often make promises that seem outlandish and hard to keep. So they make an oath to back them up. Did you ever say: “Cross my heart and hope to die. Stick a needle in my eye”? This oath was made to back up what you were saying as true. It was the assurance your promise would be kept.

Hebrews 6:16 says, “People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.” In Hebrews 6:13, we see that when God made a promise to Abraham, he swore by himself. Why? There is no one greater than God. He made a promise to bless Abraham, and he fulfilled that promise. Our confidence in him is based on his unchanging nature.

God cannot lie. It is impossible. It is not in his nature. When he makes a promise, we can have complete confidence in the promise because we have complete confidence in him. The writer of Hebrews uses the image of an anchor to help us understand how God’s faithfulness secures our soul. Sailors use anchors to keep a boat from moving. Builders use anchor screws to hold objects firmly on a wall. Faithful God is an anchor who keeps our souls from drifting in the stormy, dangerous and deadly waters of life. He holds us firmly and keeps us from falling.

Faithful high priest

In Jesus, we see more of the faithfulness of God. Jesus became a high priest in the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 6:20). The first mention of the priest-king Melchizedek is found in Genesis 14 and recapped again in Hebrews 7:1-10. His name means “king of righteousness.” He was king of Salem, which means “king of peace.” When Abram returned from defeating his enemies, he brought an offering to Melchizedek because there was no one greater to whom he could present the tenth of everything he had captured. Hebrews 7:3 says he was without parents or genealogy, without beginning or end, just like Christ.

Like Melchizedek, Jesus is king of righteousness and peace. We have in him a one-of-a-kind high priest whose sinless nature allowed him to go behind the curtain in the temple that separated sinful man from the presence of Holy God. He didn’t just present a sacrifice for our sins, he was the sacrifice. Hebrews 7:26 says Jesus meets our need because he is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners and exalted in heaven. His sacrifice was once for all. No other priest is needed because his is an indestructible life (Hebrews 7:16). He is the one to whom we bring our offerings.

Draw near to God with confidence

Now we can confidently enter into the Holy Place. Jesus’ shed blood tore the temple curtain in two. We come into the Father’s presence because of the work of Christ, our faithful high priest. Our sins are forgiven. Our guilt is removed. We are made pure and holy by his blood (Hebrews 10:22).

One thing I have come to appreciate about some faith traditions is the reverence with which they enter the presence of God Most High. It seems they take more time to consider the “who” of worship, not just the “what” and “how.”

The next time you enter into God’s presence, apply Hebrews 10:22. Take time to contemplate what Jesus has done for us. Come with a sincere heart. Approach him with full assurance; not doubting but completely confident in this faithful God who always does what he says he will do.

Verse 23 tells us to “hold unswervingly to the hope we profess.” We are to be unshakeable, solid, reliable and unwavering in our faith. This kind of faith is not based on circumstances. It is anchored in the unchanging nature of our faithful God.

When life gets unpredictable, heavy, confusing and almost more than you can bear, hold fast to our faithful God. Charles Spurgeon said it well, “If you can’t see his way past the tears, trust his heart.”

• The Explore the Bible lesson for July 6 focuses on Ezekiel 34:2-6, 11-16, 22-24.

The second year of high school, I played football on the junior varsity team. It was a miserable season. We lost every game. We took a three-month beating, losing games with scores like 60-0. It was humiliating.

During the pregame pep talk before the last game, our coach told us if we won that last game, we could “redeem” the whole season. Apparently, none of us believed him. We lost that game, too. We all knew that, no matter how we played that night, the season was lost.

We lost the last game because, before that, we’d lost all hope of being remembered as winners. When hope is lost, everything else is lost, too. Hope will keep a person fighting to win and pushing through all obstacles, no matter how dire the situation may appear. Hope is the soul’s fuel to keep going when all odds are against you.

Lack of hope

A lack of hope will make a person quit even before the game is over. That’s why, when distilled to its very minimum, all immorality is evidence of a lack of ultimate hope. Moral heroism is an expression of limitless hope.

In this week’s text, we listen in as God has a one-way conversation with the prophet. The theme of that conversation was God’s commitment to restore Israel by restoring Israel’s hope.

It must have seemed like a hopeless situation for God’s people. They’d lost Jerusalem. They’d lost their freedom and their homeland. A whole generation of people knew nothing but the horrors of enslavement in a foreign land.

Through the prophet, God was giving the people of Israel hope. Their hope was the promise of God that he would transform their captivity into a new freedom the likes of which they’d never known. Nestled in the promise for their delivery also was the promise of God to send his son and thereby give the promise of hope to all mankind for all time.

Eventually, we learn having faith in God doesn’t protect us from all harm or danger or calamity. What faith does offer is the capacity to keep trusting God for the ways in which he eventually will redeem everything, even the worst things, into instruments of his transforming grace.

A powerful promise

This is the promise given again centuries later through the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:18-30. That text does not promise all things that happen to us are good or even the will of God. It does promise that, in all things, God will work to transform even the worst things that happen into instruments of his redemptive purpose and power.

All that promise is then followed by one of the most powerful questions found in Scripture. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) It’s a rhetorical question with the answer more than implied. Nothing will stand in the way of God fulfilling his promise to restore, redeem and save those who trust him.

As if the apostle cannot contain himself, he reaffirms this promise of hope in the verses that follow in Romans 8:37-39: “In all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

This hope is the central theme of the gospel itself. Perhaps no other passage of Scripture more clearly makes that point than 1 Peter 1:3-9. Peter celebrates how God, in his “great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you.” That promise is the very heart of our hope in Christ.

Hope in Christ

It was the same promise given to the people of Israel centuries before. Even though they couldn’t yet see the promised Christ, they could experience the hope Christ would make available to all people.

This is the true meaning of evangelism. Evangelism is simply and profoundly sharing with others the hope that is ours in Christ and Christ alone. We are commanded to be a part of helping others discover the hope without which life is simply not possible.

Even the lost season of football still reaches through all these decades to remind me, as long as I have hope, I can keep getting back up, no matter how many times I get knocked down. Through faith in Christ, there is no such thing as a totally hopeless situation. Even in death, we will not be separated from the hope that is ours because of the promise of God to give us eternal life, eternal hope.

• The Bible Studies for Life lesson for June 29 focuses on Proverbs 2:1-6; 3:5-7.

Have you heard these pearls of wisdom before? “Mind your own business.” “Good fences make good neighbors.” “A penny saved is a penny earned.” While they may help us with relationships and finances, they are nothing compared to the wisdom our holy God has for those who love him.

The source of wisdom

God knows we need wisdom or he would not have inspired Solomon and others to write the book of wisdom literature we know as Proverbs. The word “wisdom” or some variation of it appears more than 100 times in 31 chapters.

When Solomon became king of Israel, he asked God for two things—a discerning heart and the ability to distinguish between right and wrong. He knew without them he was not capable of governing his people. God granted his request and also gave him what he didn’t ask—riches and honor.

Do we know we need wise and discerning hearts to live in this world? Solomon’s opening words to his son reveal the building blocks of wisdom. Proverbs 1:2-7 says discipline, understanding, guidance, knowledge and doing what is right, just and fair shape the life of a wise person. Verse 7 tells us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”

We are not inherently wise. We cannot buy wisdom. It doesn’t rub off on us from someone else. We must take action to acquire wisdom. Proverbs 2:6 provides the first step in finding the unlike-any-other wisdom, “For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” Wisdom is God’s gift flowing from knowledge and understanding of him that saves, disciplines, guides and shapes us to be like Christ.

Acquiring wisdom

God gives wisdom. That’s the role he plays. But what is our role in acquiring it? Proverbs 2:1-5 gives practical steps to take. These steps are the application of this lesson.

We must accept and store up the commands of God. First, we have to know what the commands are. Knowledge leads us to understanding, which leads us to the ability to apply that knowledge and understanding through action. Psalm 119:11 paints the picture well, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Let God’s word get into you. Memorize it. Think about it. Let it nourish, refresh, correct and give you life.

To acquire knowledge, you have to want it. A man was walking along a noisy New York City street when he stopped and asked his companion: “Do you hear it? The cricket chirping?” His companion thought he was a bit crazy because all the second man could hear was blaring horns and other street noises. He asked, “How can you hear a cricket with all this noise around you?” His friend replied, “It’s all in what you tune your ear to hear.”

Solomon says we have to turn our ears to wisdom. We live in a noisy world. Every day, we need to tune our ears to listen to God speak and then respond to his promptings.

Call out for insight. Cry aloud for understanding. Search for it as if you are looking for silver (Proverbs 2:3-5), not with a once-in-a-while-if-it-doesn’t-require-much-from-me attitude. In prayer, we position ourselves to call to God and receive what God wants to give us in knowledge and understanding. This results in wisdom.

The role of wisdom

As we learn to know and follow holy God, we receive his wisdom. Proverbs 3:5-6 often is voiced as people’s favorite Bible verses. In these two verses, we see the role of trust in the pursuit of godly wisdom. We put our full weight down on him. We refuse to lean on our own understanding.

To acknowledge God is to ask him to be present in every moment of every day in every circumstance of life and to be aware he is there to help, guide, direct, protect and transform us. We take instruction from him trusting his commands are helpful, not hurtful. They keep us out of trouble and really do offer us a life not filled with defeat, betrayal and failure. We come to understand he means only our good and not our harm.

It really is dangerous for us to think we can be wise apart from God. The enemy blinds us to the truth, twists our thinking, hardens our hearts and leads us to destruction. God’s wisdom gives us life.

George Ray Jr. was my pastor when I was a teen. He challenged us to read one chapter of Proverbs every day for one month. I’m so grateful I took him up on that challenge. In Proverbs, the Bible came alive to me, because the writer was speaking directly to me about how I should and could live as a Christ follower. The experience whetted my appetite for God’s word and began a life-long journey in Scripture. Indeed, it has unfolded my knowledge and understanding of God.

Will you take his challenge? “For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm” (Proverbs 1:32-33).