Quintessentials

By Jeffrey S. Carlson

QUINTESSENTIALS is a year-long, daily devotional that covers core essentials of the Christian Faith from the perspective of a pastor with over four decades of experience. A vast number of Christian devotionals have been produced over the years. They have been written in a wide variety of styles. QUINTESSENTIALS is written in a teaching style covering twelve themes over the course of fifty-two weeks. Marked by grace, humor, and candor, it is an earnest attempt to aid those who wish to learn something of substance that can affect the meaning and practice of their faith.

The twelve themes in QUINTESSENTIALS include: Reasons; Beliefs; Aims; Practices; Laws about God; Laws about People; Implications of the Resurrection; Perspectives; The Five Books; Pursuits; Last Things; Reflections.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Nov 29, 2020
• ISBN: 9781098338176

Book preview

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THEME – BELIEFS

When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:1-5 NRSV).

OVERVIEW

Some in Corinth wanted Paul to be more like the popular speakers of the day both in what he said and how he said it. But Paul knew that foundational truth and not rhetoric could restore people to God and gain them a life that really mattered. Even today, it is important for us to return again and again to foundational truth in order to find direction and power for living the life God wants us to live. Over the next five weeks we will consider five core beliefs that are part of the quintessentials of faith.

BELIEFS: JESUS

MONDAY (Day 8)

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him (Colossians 1:19 NIV).

We believe Jesus Christ is uniquely one person with two natures: human and divine. The traditional term for this is incarnation. In Jesus Christ God has taken on flesh, that is, has been born as a human being like us.

When dealing with basic beliefs, many people think you should start with a question like, Does God exist? But from my experience, and the experience of others, it makes sense to start with Jesus. If you can show that Jesus is who he claims to be, then so many other things fall into place including the reality of God.

Some people think Jesus was just a good religious teacher or maybe even a very powerful angel. However, those suggestions do not fit with the facts. Yes, he was a teacher. Yes, he was powerful. But Jesus claimed to be the unique Son of God on an equal footing with God. He assumed the authority to forgive sins. He said that one day he would judge the world, and what would matter then would be how we had responded to him in this life.

To say that Jesus is Lord is to say that he is the God-Man; fully human, fully divine. He uniquely reveals God. If we want to know what God is like, we look to Jesus.

As C. S. Lewis has said in Mere Christianity:

A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said wouldn't be a great moral teacher; he would either be a lunatic – on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg–or else he would be the devil of hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was and is the Son of God, or a madman or something worse… but let’s not come away with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He hasn't left that open to us. He didn't intend to.⁴

Jesus Christ is uniquely one person with two natures: human and divine.

TUESDAY (Day 9)

A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, If you choose, you can make me clean. Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, I do choose. Be made clean! (Mark 1:40-41 NRSV).

Jesus had a healing ministry that pointed people to the kingdom of God. Now there were so-called faith healers in Jesus’ day but they were limited in what they claimed they could do. Some specialized in bad backs, others in headaches, and so on. But none in the ancient world could ever honestly put gave sight to the blind or brought back the dead on their resume. They also required financial remuneration for their services whether successful or not.

But Jesus never sought payment for his healings. And so far as we know never met an affliction he could not cure. However, sometimes he scaled back his healing ministry if he was surrounded by disbelief (Mark 6:5,6).

Jesus healed a leper. The word that is translated leprosy can refer to a number of skin diseases that required the afflicted to live in isolation from the general population. From the moment he was diagnosed he would have been told over and over again that his leprosy was a punishment from God – a concept, by the way, that Jesus repeatedly rejected. But this does help explain the leper’s odd approach to Jesus, If you want to, you can cleanse me (1:40). He did not doubt the power of God. He just doubted that God could love him. I find this to be a common malady today – even among those who have never had anything like leprosy.

With one gesture Jesus shattered the man’s doubts – Jesus touched him. The effect must have been phenomenal. There is nothing like a compassionate touch to prove love still exists. Not only did Jesus risk infection, he deliberately became ceremonially unclean so that the man might become clean. Perhaps this was a foreshadowing of what Jesus would do for us on the cross.

WEDNESDAY (Day 10)

Prayer

Loving God, you sent Jesus to proclaim your kingdom, teach with authority, and bring love, hope, and healing to the world. Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us, that we too may bring good news to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted, and proclaim liberty to the captive; through Jesus Christ our risen Lord. Amen.

– Anonymous

THURSDAY (Day 11)

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, Who do people say that the Son of Man is? And they said, Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. He said to them, But who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered, You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:13-16 NRSV).

In the Old Testament, kings, priests and prophets were recognized in a ceremony that involved pouring olive oil on the person’s head.⁵ A person who experienced this was called an anointed one. The Hebrew term for anointed one comes into English as messiah. Christ is from the Greek form of messiah and means the same thing. Later, the term Messiah came to refer to a special leader whom God would send to deliver his people from the power of sin.

So each prophet, priest and king was a messiah. Each prophet, priest and king was a christ. But over the generations, the people of God made some important observations about this. They concluded that most of their prophets had been liars, most of their priests corrupt, and most of their kings unjust.

But some of the prophets, like Isaiah and Jeremiah (and, of course, the other prophets that became part of the canon of Scripture), had been telling them the truth. It’s just that the people did not like what these prophets had said and so rejected them in favor of prophets who gave more enjoyable, but less truthful, sermons.

Later, during the long, dark time known as the Babylonian Exile (circa 587-517 B.C.), the people of God began to come to their senses and realized that God had been speaking to them through these unpopular prophets. Furthermore, these truthful prophets indicated that God was going to send a special leader to redeem his people. So the people yearned for this to take place. They looked for One who would be, all at the same time – a prophet who told the truth, a priest whose heart was pure, and a king who was righteous. In other words, they longed for the Messiah whom God would send.

Christ is not the surname of Jesus but his title. When we say that Jesus is the Christ, we are saying that we recognize that he is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies. We are also saying that he was not a myth or a legend but a real, historical person.

FRIDAY (Day 12)

He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. Get behind me, Satan! he said. You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns. (Mark 8:31-33 NIV).

The New Testament declares that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of the Father. Consequently, as Christians, we often refer to Jesus as the Son of God. But there is another way in which Jesus is the Son. The phrase, Son of Man was Jesus' favorite way of referring to himself. Son of Man sounds to us like a poetic way of referring to someone's humanity and it was occasionally used in this way but its history went in a different direction. It was a seldom used term in Jesus' day that traced its roots to the Book of Daniel (7:13-14). Jesus used this term in order to avoid the mistaken notions about the Messiah so prevalent in his day. In Daniel's vision, Daniel saw the Son of Man as someone who approached God in his heavenly throne room and was given universal authority and dominion. So the claim to be the Son of Man is a claim to divinity.

Jesus also used this title in order to talk about the death and resurrection of the Messiah. Jesus spoke plainly about his suffering role. The words got through to Peter, but he refused to accept them. Peter had the greatest difficulty in conceiving of messiahship in any other than the popular theological and political categories. A suffering Messiah! Unthinkable! The Messiah was supposed to be a symbol of strength, not weakness. So Peter took Jesus aside and, amazingly, rebuked him.

But Jesus' words to Peter were not only severe, they were deliberately spoken in the presence of the other disciples. They probably shared Peter's views and needed the rebuke, too. The severity of the rebuke arises from Jesus' recognition in Peter's attempt to dissuade him from going to the Cross the same temptation he had experienced at the outset of his ministry (Luke 4:1-13).

WEEKEND (Days 13 and 14)

For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you (2 Peter 1:11 NRSV).

LORD is the term in the Old Testament to refer to God. The New Testament affirms that Jesus is Lord. Jesus himself said that he was one with God the Father (John 10:30). To say that Jesus is Lord is to say that he is the God-Man; fully human, fully divine. He uniquely reveals God. If we want to know what God is like, we look to Jesus. To have faith in Jesus is to have faith in God.

Jesus Christ is called Savior because he came to save people from the power of sin. He died a terrible death. But his death was a substitution. He was punished for our sins. Jesus makes it possible for us to be put right with God. Faith in Jesus Christ turns that possibility into reality. Through faith in Jesus we are reconciled to God, forgiven of all our sins, and are given a new kind of life. We can experience this new kind of life in part now, and completely in the world to come.

BELIEFS: TRINITY

MONDAY (Day 15)

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you (2 Corinthians 13:13 NRSV).

We believe there is one God and within the one God there are three persons. The traditional term for this is Trinity.

The idea that there is one God and within the one God there are three persons is a profound mystery. The word Trinity is not found in Scripture. It is our name for the teaching that is found in Scripture. There is one God and within God are three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This is a statement not an explanation. The Trinity is a mystery.

Of course, there are many other things in life for which we have no explanation. Examples would include: Why isn't phonetic spelled the way it sounds? Why are there interstate highways in Hawaii? If nothing ever sticks to Teflon™⁶, how do they make Teflon™ stick to the pan? So the concept of the Trinity is not the only mystery of life.

TUESDAY (Day 16)

Therefore you are great, O LORD God; for there is no one like you, and there is no God besides you (2 Samuel 7:22 NRSV).

Now there are people who reject the idea of Trinity. They say things like, I believe in God but this talk of Trinity is way too complicated and confusing! We don’t need it. Now I agree it is complicated but it is unnecessary only if it is not the truth. Besides, who in their right mind would make this up? C. S. Lewis put it this way:

If Christianity was something we were making up, of course we could make it easier. But it is not. We cannot compete, in simplicity, with people who are inventing religions. How could we? We are dealing with Fact. Of course anyone can be simple if he has no facts to bother about.⁷

There are two mistakes we must avoid. One is to say that Trinity means three gods. The Bible is quite clear on the unity of God. Hear, O Israel: The LORD is our God, the LORD alone (Deuteronomy 6:4 NRSV).

The other mistake is to say that there are no distinctions within God, that Father, Son and Holy Spirit are just different ways of saying the same thing. I recommend that you read what Jesus said to his followers about the Father and the Holy Spirit in the Gospel of John (John 14:16; 15:26; 16:13-15) in order to appreciate that Trinity has to do with three persons and not three synonyms.

The concept of the Trinity does not fully explain the character of God. The Trinity remains a mystery. So the goal here is not to comprehend God, for that is impossible. Rather, the goal here is to experience God as God really is. This is not done through speculation, but through experiencing the act of grace through personal faith. You do not have to understand the Trinity before you can have faith in God. That can begin at any time – today, if you like!

WEDNESDAY (Day 17)

Prayer

I bind unto myself today the strong name of the Trinity, by invocation of the same, the Three in One, and One in Three.

I bind this day to me forever, by power of faith, Christ’s incarnation; his baptism in the Jordan river; his death on the cross for my salvation. His bursting from the spiced tomb; his riding up the heavenly way; his coming at the day of doom I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself today the virtues of the star-lit heaven, the glorious sun’s life-giving ray, the whiteness of the moon at even, the flashing of the lightning free, the whirling wind’s tempestuous shocks, the stable earth, the deep salt sea around the old eternal rocks.

I bind unto myself today the power of God to hold and lead, God’s eye to watch, God’s might to stay, God’s ear to hearken to my need, the wisdom of my God to teach, God’s hand to guide, God’s shield to ward, the word of God to give me speech, God’s heavenly host to be my guard.

Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

– Patrick of Ireland (389–461)

THURSDAY (Day 18)

Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love (1 John 4:8 NRSV).

As Christians we believe God is love (1 John 4:8). But how can one God, who is perfect, lacking nothing in himself and possessed of no dependence on creatures, be love when love necessitates a relation to another? God himself has revealed the answer to us: God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father, Son, and Spirit exist from all eternity. From all eternity the Father has loved the Son. From all eternity the Son has loved the Father. Augustine reasoned that because the love between the Father and the Son is so perfect that it too is a person: the Holy Spirit.

The Scriptures lead us to believe that for all eternity God has been, is now and ever shall be a community of love. This is good news for us because it means that God deals with the creation lovingly, even to the point of dying on its behalf.

To believe in the Trinity is to identify with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is to believe God is love. We love because God is love, and knowing God impels us to love one another.

FRIDAY (Day 19)

Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness… So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:26-27 NRSV).

The Bible teaches us that God is community. The metaphor may be shocking, but it is thoroughly Christian and can have a profound effect on our lives. If God is community then God has never been lonely, never been needy, is completely sufficient within himself. In short, God is more awesome, more powerful, more glorious, more blessed than we can imagine.

God is community. He did not make us out of necessity or compulsion but out of love. Indeed, the Bible tells us God is love (1 John 4:8).

God is community and we bear God's image. Therefore community is an essential part of our relationship to God. This is why baptism apart from the church community is virtually meaningless. It is like asking a football coach to put you on his team and then telling him you will not show up for practice and never come to any games. To be baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is to identify with the community of faith which affirms the community of God.

The Lord’s Supper also points us toward community. It is often called communion. Paul himself uses this term in 1 Corinthians 10. The Greek word is koinonia and it means fellowship marked by sharing. If we come to the Lord’s Supper and do not desire real communion, that is, fellowship with God and his people, then we make a mockery of communion, a mockery of the Lord’s Supper.

The Lord's Supper brings to mind Christ and his costly sacrifice that paid for our sins once for all. It reminds us that the cross is the ultimate demonstration of the Savior's love for us. The Lord knows how forgetful we are and so has commanded that we continue to observe this meal and never forget its significance. The phrase, For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup (1 Corinthians 11:26 NRSV) indicates a recurring experience in the life of the church and individual believers. There are spiritual benefits we cannot receive if we neglect this meal. Sadly, many do.

WEEKEND (Days 20 and 21)

And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age (Matthew 28:18-20 NRSV).

One of the primary tasks of the community of love is to participate in the expansion of that community in the world. This is often referred to as the Great Commission. The risen Christ wants his followers to be his agents in the world, continuing his work of reconciliation.

In his earthly ministry Jesus said he had authority as the Son of Man to forgive sin (Matthew 9:6) and to reveal the Father (11:27). Now as the risen Christ he is the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy of the Son of Man who has been given all authority, glory, and power (Daniel 7:13-14). And after making it clear that he possesses all authority, what is the first command he issues? Make disciples!

Grammatically, the main verb in verse 19 is make disciples and all the other actions (go, baptize, teach) are subordinate. But in actual practice, the work of making new disciples is not only subordinate in the church it is often ignored by the church! It is called the Great Commission but perhaps it should be called the Great Omission!

But the Great Commission is a command and not a suggestion. A commission is a commitment put into action. In this case, the commitment to Jesus Christ is expressed through the action of reaching out to others with the love of God and inviting them to make a personal response to Jesus Christ.

BELIEFS: SAVING FAITH

MONDAY (Day 22)

For what does the scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness (Romans 4:3 NRSV).

We believe we are put right with God as a gift from God through personal trust in Jesus Christ. Traditionally, this is known as justification by faith through grace.

What do we mean by faith? Historically, the word faith has been used in three different ways: knowledge, assent, and trust. Faith as knowledge refers to a set of beliefs, such as those summarized in the Apostles' Creed. Faith as assent means you agree that those beliefs are true. Faith as trust means a personal reliance upon the God to whom the beliefs point. This last type of faith is sometimes called saving faith – the kind of faith that makes it possible for us to receive the free gift of salvation – a personal trust in God as revealed in Jesus Christ.

TUESDAY (Day 23)

Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23(NRSV).

The need for forgiveness began early in human history. One can imagine that Adam and Eve told their story over and over again to their children. How God had made a beautiful world, placed them in it to enjoy but they were not content with that. They wanted to be like gods themselves. So they rejected God’s authority. They rebelled against God. God said that if they did that they would die. So they did die. Immediately, in a spiritual sense and some time later in a physical sense. The relationship they had with God died. The relationship of harmony they had with nature died. The beautiful relationship they had with each other died.

In a very real sense, this story is repeated in every generation. It has become an integral part of our existence. The traditional word for this condition is Sin. The condition of Sin is the cause for the various manifestations of Sin in the world. War, hatred, bigotry, racism, murder, oppression, envy, idolatry, selfishness, theft, adultery and gossip are just some of the symptoms of this condition. The symptoms are not equal in their seriousness, for example, murder is more heinous than gossip. But all sins point to the condition of Sin whereby we are estranged from our Creator. The fact of Sin points to our need for forgiveness.

WEDNESDAY (Day 24)

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, I know that you are alive and real. I also know that I have lived a life of self-centeredness and I have sinned against God and others. I wish to turn away from anything which displeases you. I thank you for your great love in dying for me, for taking the punishment I deserved. I open the door of my heart and soul. Come in, Lord Jesus. Come in as my Savior and cleanse me: Come in as my Lord and take control of me. Give me the power of your Holy Spirit to love you and love my neighbor as myself. By your grace I will serve you faithfully, in fellowship with other believers, all my life. Amen.

THURSDAY (Day 25)

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8 NRSV).

The basis for our salvation is the work of Jesus Christ. If the condition of Sin has broken our relationship with God then something needs to be done to restore the relationship. The Bible refers to this kind of work as atonement. Atonement means a price is paid to repair a broken relationship and make it one again. To help remember the meaning of atonement some re-state the word as At-One-ment – what had been divided is now united.

Christ's death on the Cross is sufficient to atone for the sins of everyone but is effective only for those who have faith. If I turn from sin and place my trust in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior then the condition of Sin in my life has been dealt with once and for all and God treats me as if all instances of sin in my life have not taken place. I have experienced salvation.

FRIDAY (Day 26)

He said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem (Luke 24:46-47 NRSV).

How do we receive the benefits of what Jesus did? The Reformers came to the conclusion that when it comes to the benefits of what Jesus did, we do not deserve them and cannot earn them. They are a gift from God to be received by faith. This teaching came to be known as justification by faith. If we place our faith in Jesus Christ then God treats us just-as-if we had never turned away in the first place.

Jesus tells his followers, repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name (Luke 24:47). The key word here is repentance. This is a turning from sin. Repentance is not simply a change of opinion or just saying you’re sorry. A lot of people are sorry – they are sorry they got caught! Repentance means wanting to change the way you think and act about something you know is wrong. Ultimately, true repentance is only possible with the help of God.

So faith involves a turning from sin and a turning to Christ. Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than walking into a garage makes you an automobile. It requires faith. Faith is a personal trust in God as revealed in Jesus Christ. This is the way of salvation.

The Bible shows us that there is a purpose to our salvation. We are saved from sin so that we can be free to serve God. Good works cannot save us but the necessary fruit of a saving faith is good works.

WEEKEND (Days 27 and 28)

But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God (John 1:12-13 NRSV).

The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in enabling us to trust in Christ. It was Jesus who first declared that spiritual rebirth was a necessity for entering the kingdom of God. He said to Nicodemus, "I tell you the truth, unless you are born again⁸, you cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).

This leads us to another misconception. To describe someone as a born-again Christian is a redundancy. There is no such thing as a non-born-again Christian. Every Christian is born again whether they are familiar with the term or not.

The term regeneration appears in Titus 3:5 as a description of spiritual change. The idea of regeneration is also conveyed by the use of other terms related to the idea of birth. Jesus referred to regeneration when he told Nicodemus (John 3:3) that he must be born again. The term born again in John 3 is perhaps better translated as born from above. This more clearly emphasizes the sovereign role of God in bringing about the experience of regeneration.

We believe we are put right with God as a gift from God through personal trust in Jesus Christ as enabled by the Holy Spirit.

BELIEFS: SERVICE

MONDAY (Day 29)

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9 NRSV).

We believe God calls every Christian into service. Historically, this has been referred to as the priesthood of all believers.

Martin Luther and John Calvin reaffirmed the biblical teaching that the ministry of Jesus Christ is for all Christians and not just a select few. All believers have access to God and are gifted for ministry. God calls us into service. Unfortunately, during the Middles Ages, the idea of a calling from God was limited to religious vocations such as priest or nun. Later, the Reformer Martin Luther taught that any honest labor was a way to serve God.

TUESDAY (Day 30)

Lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called (Ephesians 4:1 NRSV).

Every Christian has a calling to fulfill. Every believer is called to use the gifts and abilities God has given in order to honor and serve God in personal life, in households and families, in daily occupations, and in community, nation, and the world.

Every believer is a minister. Not every believer is a pastor, but every believer is a minister. Not every believer is an active minister, some seem to be on leave or even AWOL. But God wants each one of us to be involved in ministry. Ministry simply means using what we have to help others in the name of God.

In the Bible the words service and ministry are translations of the same Greek term. The word ministry can be used to describe any type of service but sometimes we make a distinction between two kinds of service. Ministry is service to your church. Mission is service to your world. Both are ways of serving God by serving others.

WEDNESDAY (Day 31)

Prayer

Gracious God,

thank you for the gifts of space and time. Help me to see these gifts as opportunities – to enjoy the beauty and wonder of your creation, to work, to rest, to give, to receive, to serve, and be served. Thank you for the talents and spiritual gifts you have given me. I know that every believer is gifted by the Holy Spirit with different abilities and that every good thing comes from you. Move my heart to be motivated to do what I can with what you have given me. Put within my heart a spirit of love and compassion. Inspire me to make a difference in my church and community, by being generous with my time, talent and treasure. Use what I have and who I am for your glory. In Jesus' precious name. Amen.

– Anonymous

THURSDAY (Day 32)

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed (1 Corinthians 12:1 NRSV).

The Bible makes it clear that we are to be informed about spiritual gifts. Perhaps you have heard it said that ignorance is bliss. Well, this may be true in some cases, but usually in important matters it is not true. Ignorance is a two-edged sword. It may precipitate harm to yourself and others. And it may keep you from receiving certain benefits. This is true in life. It is also true in matters of faith. Ignorance of spiritual gifts may adversely affect your walk with God and may even adversely affect the church. Also, it may keep you from receiving certain benefits God wants you to have.

It is the Spirit who gifts us for service and empowers us for witness. Unfortunately, many Christians have only a vague understanding of the Holy Spirit. Some Christians wonder if they have the Holy Spirit. Part of the reason for the mystery surrounding the Holy Spirit is because his role is to glorify Jesus Christ. Think of the Holy Spirit as a spotlight operator at a theater. The purpose of the spotlight operator is to focus attention on the actor on stage. When spotlight operators are doing their job properly you will hardly notice them. Instead, your thoughts and attention will be on the actor who is in the spotlight.

The Holy Spirit puts Jesus in the spotlight. If your attention and focus are on Jesus Christ then be assured that the Holy Spirit is at work in you. Indeed, Scripture affirms that no one can truly believe that Jesus is Lord apart from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3). The Holy Spirit makes Christ real to us and empowers us to serve in Christ’s name.

If you want to be a more effective and fruitful servant of God I suggest that you pray for the Holy Spirit to be active in your life and that you discover your spiritual gifts.

FRIDAY (Day 33)

Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received (1 Peter 4:10 NRSV).

Thomas Edison invented the first commercially successful incandescent electric light bulb in 1879. It was a remarkable achievement. But it would be more than half a century before many Americans could appreciate it. The problem was not with the light bulb. The problem was the lack of electrical power. Many rural communities did not receive electrical power until the 1930s. The light bulb may be a great idea but it has no practical benefit without power.

Just so, it is a great thing to want to serve God. We are to show the light of God’s truth and love to the world. But this is not practical without power. We need God’s power. The Bible speaks of this kind of power in terms of spiritual gifts.

We learn our place of service as we recognize and use our spiritual gifts and other abilities to strengthen the church of Jesus Christ. Do not wait until you have a complete understanding of spiritual gifts before you start to serve. Jump in and help out as best you can. And if you think you have a particular gift then try to use it. God wants you to use what you have to help others. God does not expect you to use what you do not have. Finding out what you have been given will help you discover your place of service.

WEEKEND (Days 34 and 35)

The one thing required of servants is that they be faithful (1 Corinthians 4:2 TEV).

We are not left to our own devices to learn how to serve. We have a model for service in Jesus Christ. If we want to develop our servanthood then we need to serve like Jesus. Serving like Jesus means being faithful.

Jesus was faithful in his service. He did not give up. If we want to serve like Jesus then we must not give up. You may retire from your job someday, or you may already be retired from your job, but you never retire from serving God. The nature of that