THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
“But he who does the will of God abides forever.”
—1 John 2:17
The difficulty in the Christian life is living consistently what we confess to believe. Every Sunday morning, believers pray these words to the Lord, “Thy Will Be Done.” Yet so often we want our own will to be done, and we lose sight of the truth that God’s will for us is holy, righteous, perfect, good, and acceptable (Romans 12:2). We easily forget that “we are not our own but belong to our faithful Savior Jesus Christ” and therefore we are called to live according to the will of our Master –both His revealed will in Scripture and His secret will, which is manifested through His wondrous providence.
However, it takes a lifetime of submission to God’s will to learn to live this truth, and even then we fall woefully short of submitting to God’s will as we ought. Praise God our salvation is secured for us by the perfect law-keeping life and perfect sin-atoning death of Jesus Christ who said, “Behold, I have come; in the volume of the book it is written of Me; To do Your will, O God” (Hebrews 10:7). Jesus also said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work” (John 4:34). And how comforting to hear Jesus say, “I always do all those things that please my Father” (John 8:29). And it’s this perfect righteousness of Christ that is imputed to all who by true faith trust in the Savior Jesus Christ. Therefore, we are not condemned for disobeying God’s will because we are covered in the righteous perfection of King Jesus. Hallelujah! What a Savior! As the hymn writer declared:
“Let us love and sing and wonder,
Let us praise the Savior’s name
He has hushed the law’s loud thunder,
He has quenched Mount Sinai’s flame
He has washed us with His blood,
He has brought us nigh to God!”
“In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10). Rejoice, beloved, rejoice that Jesus has lived and died in your place –“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21).
“I am not what I ought to be!
I am not what I want to be!
But, praise God, I am not what I used to be!
And because of Christ I am headed for a glorious eternity!”
Tuesday Encouragement: June 23, 2026
In Christ,
Pastor S. Henry
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A CHRISTIAN'S SUNDAY MORNING PRAYER
My Father and My God,
You are the Sovereign One: Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
You are the Triune God: One in essence and three in person, yet only One God (Deut. 6:4).
You alone rule in Heaven above, the earth below, the sea, and even in the abode of Hell, You are the Sovereign Ruler.
You control all the kingdom's of men for Your glory and the good of Your church.
You have promised that the gates of Hell will never overpower Your church (Matt. 16:18).
You have declared that every believer is a super-conqueror in Christ (Romans 8:37).
You have declared that every believer has overcome the world through our faith in Christ (1 John 5:4).
O LORD: Father, Son, Holy Spirit, You are omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, infinite, immense, and eternal.
You are loving, gracious, merciful, kind, long-suffering, forgiving, and at the same time holy, just, and righteous!
You have always existed! You are the Ancient of Days! You are the Eternal One!
This knowledge is too wonderful for me to grasp. It is too high, I cannot attain it.
However, I can apprehend it because You have revealed it in Scripture.
But no mortal man can comprehend such depths of glory, splendor, holiness, and wonder.
Heavenly Father, You are the zenith of purity, but I am so sinful in thought, word, and deed.
Who am I or what am I that You are mindful of me, that You should care for me, that You should redeem me?
I have violated all Your holy commandments! I have kept none of them!
I am worthy and deserving of damnation! Of myself, I am vile, corrupt, and unclean in Your sight!
I am worthy of temporal and everlasting punishment!
As David wrote of the Savior in Psalm 22:6, "But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people."
But in a wonder of Your grace, You have redeemed me, body and soul, to be Your own.
You have cleansed me with Christ's blood! You have covered me with Christ's righteous robes!
You have declared me justified because of Christ's righteousness, holiness, and perfect satisfaction.
I am humbled to the ground "that You would give Your only Son to make this wretch (me) His treasure."
I have no words to fully express Your gracious, wondrous, awesome redemption. But, nevertheless, I praise Your name!
I praise You, Father! I praise You, Jesus! I praise You, Holy Spirit! One God in divine essence yet three distinct Persons.
O Holy Spirit, continue Your transforming work within me. Continue setting me free from the pull of sin.
Cause sin to be an odious stench in my sight rather than a pleasant pleasure.
Make me think and live like my Savior Jesus, Who always did those things that please the Father!
Cause me to rehabituate the fallen flesh and walk in biblical newness of life.
O Jesus, humble me when I obey; chasten me when I rebel against You!
Retrieve me when I go astray; keep me within Your sheepfold, O Great Shepherd of the Sheep, since I am "prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love! Here's my heart, oh take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above!"
Never loosen Your grip upon me lest I return to the broad road that leads to destruction!
Hold me close, Lord Jesus, lest I run back to the mud of this world even as a pig returns to the mud after being washed.
Don't let me return to the garbage can of this world even as a dog licks up its own vomit.
Forgive me for sinning against You in my thoughts, words, and actions!
My trust for redemption, from justification to glorification, is You, Lord Jesus!
Use me for Your glory, even though I am sinful, weak, broken, ignorant, and feeble!
Use me up for Your glory! Fill me with Your Spirit and Word.
Holy Spirit, bring my mind captive to the obedience of Christ!
I know I am a sinful vessel, but please, O Father, I plead with You, use me for Your glory and the good of Your church!
Bless the ministry of the Word this morning, Lord Jesus, as You walk among Your candlesticks (Rev. 1:13).
O Lord Jesus, minister to me, minister to us, Your sheep, Your redeemed, Your people!
As the hymn writer penned:
Guide me, O thou great Jehovah,
pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but thou art mighty;
hold me with thy powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me till I want no more;
feed me till I want no more.
I pray in Your name and authority, Lord Jesus!
Amen!
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