“The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death.” — Romans 8:2

E. Stanley Jones reminds us that the spiritual life operates according to unchanging principles, just as the natural world does. The same God who designed the laws of gravity, thermodynamics, and motion is the One who governs grace and life in Christ. There is no uncertainty in Him—no arbitrary decisions or shifting moods. Just as the sun rises each day without fail, so does His grace function with perfect reliability.

📖 Hezekiah received the envoys gladly and showed them what was in his storehouses—the silver, the gold, the spices, the fine olive oil—his entire armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.
— Isaiah 39:2

Hezekiah, a man who had once seen the power of God deliver him from enemies and illness, found himself caught in a different kind of danger—one far subtler than an advancing army. When the envoys from Babylon arrived, flattering him and recognizing his kingdom, he eagerly displayed all his wealth and defenses. It was a moment of pride, but one that blinded him to the true nature of the visitors. Babylon, the very power God had warned against, was not admiring Judah—it was assessing its treasures for future plunder.

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” (1 Corinthians 15:10)

Paul's life was marked by relentless labor—preaching, discipling, planting churches, and writing Scripture. Yet, in all his toil, he makes an astonishing confession: "yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me."

There are seasons when God seems to draw a curtain over our understanding. The natural impulse in these times is to search frantically for answers—turning to others, scouring books, or voicing our confusion. But Oswald Chambers reminds us that the discipline of darkness is not about grasping for explanations but about learning to listen.

📖 “For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake.” —2 Corinthians 4:11

The cross is not just the gateway to salvation; it is the means by which we experience Christ’s life daily. God’s way is not to improve the old but to remove it entirely. He does not reform the flesh—He crucifies it (Rom. 6:6). The Christian life is not a process of making the old self better, but of yielding to the life of Christ, who alone is our source of righteousness and victory.

For six long years, Judah groaned under the rule of Athaliah, a usurper who had seized the throne and sought to destroy the royal line of David. Darkness covered the land, but God had not forgotten His promise. In secret, young Joash, the rightful king, was hidden away, awaiting the day of his coronation. When the time was right, the priest Jehoiada boldly acted. With the Levites and leaders of Judah rallying together, they removed the false ruler and enthroned the true king.

The vision given to Ezekiel in this chapter is stark and sobering. God calls forth His angelic executioners to bring judgment upon Jerusalem, but before they strike, a man clothed in linen is sent ahead with a marking tool. His role is to set a mark upon those who grieve over the abominations committed in the land—those who have not given themselves over to idolatry. Everyone else, from the eldest to the youngest, is subject to the sword of divine justice.

Many believers struggle with a significant gap in their Christian walk:

• They know that they have died with Christ and been raised with Him (Romans 6:3-5).

• They know that Christ is their life (Colossians 3:4).

• They know that sin no longer has dominion over them (Romans 6:14).

Yet, despite this knowledge, they often do not experience the fullness of these truths. Instead of joy, peace, and victory, they encounter frustration, self-effort, and inconsistency.

Right now, I’m sitting on the porch of my oceanfront hotel cabin in Belize. The sun is shining, its warmth radiating over the beautiful beach before me. I hear the waves crashing, the palm trees swaying in the breeze. I can see the ocean, I know it’s there. I don’t have to convince myself of its reality—it is unmistakably present, ready for me to step in and experience it. The only thing left for me to do is get up, walk to the shore, and dive into what is already there. This is exactly how walking in newness of life works. Christ is our life. His Spirit is within us. The reality of our union with Him is already true, just as the ocean is already before me. The question is not whether it exists—the question is whether I will step into it.

The Christian life is a supernatural life, not one lived out through human effort or mental assent to doctrinal truth. Many believers struggle with the tension between knowing biblical truth and experiencing that truth in their daily lives. Watchman Nee’s paradigm of knowing, reckoning, yielding, and walking—developed primarily from Romans 6:1-14—is a useful framework for understanding how believers live out their identity in Christ. However, this framework can sometimes be misunderstood, leading to either transactional thinking or passive waiting—both of which hinder true spiritual growth.

Zophar steps forward with sharp words, accusing Job of arrogance and hidden sin. He assumes that suffering is always a sign of guilt and that Job’s troubles are evidence that God is punishing him. He even goes so far as to claim that Job has been treated leniently by God—that Job deserves worse.

📖 “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.” — Romans 8:2

We ended yesterday’s reading with the reassurance that momentary sin does not sever our relationship with Christ. Though it may cloud our awareness of His presence, His arms remain open. This is the glorious reality of living under the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus—a law that liberates rather than condemns, that lifts rather than crushes.

📖 Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend on deceive you when he says, Jerusalem will not be given into the hands of the king of Assyria. Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered? — Isaiah 37:10-11

Fear is a cruel master, whispering threats about what could happen, leaving us restless and anxious. This was precisely the strategy of the Assyrian king, sending a letter meant to shake Hezekiah’s trust in God. The message painted a grim future—one where Judah would fall just as countless other nations had. The temptation to tremble, to strategize in human wisdom, or to surrender to despair must have been immense. But Hezekiah chose a different response.

📖 Cornelius stared at him in fear and asked, “What is it, Lord?” The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have ascended as a memorial offering before God.” — Acts 10:4 BSB

What a stunning image: prayers rising to God as a memorial, a fragrant offering stored before His throne. The angel’s words to Cornelius reveal something remarkable—prayers are not fleeting, vanishing into the air the moment they are uttered. They ascend, accumulating before God, waiting for the appointed time when they will be poured out in fulfillment.

In Day by Day by Grace, the author makes a striking claim regarding the fruit of the Spirit, particularly self-control. He suggests that self-control, as listed in Galatians 5:23, does not refer to mere human effort in restraining oneself but rather to the Holy Spirit governing a believer’s life. This contrasts with the typical assumption that self-control is about personal discipline and willpower. To evaluate this claim fully, let’s examine the Greek term for "self-control" and explore its biblical usage.

Someone might ask, "How do we reconcile Jesus' gentleness and meekness with the times He overturned the money changers’ tables, pronounced woes against the religious leaders, and will one day execute judgment on the unbelieving world in Revelation? If He is ‘gentle and lowly in heart’ (Matthew 11:29), how do we understand His actions that seem anything but gentle?"

At first glance, these moments might seem to contradict the fruit of the Spirit—particularly gentleness. But when we look deeper, we see that Jesus' gentleness was never about avoiding confrontation or withholding judgment. Instead, it was about acting with perfect wisdom, love, and self-control. His meekness was not weakness—it was power under perfect submission to the Father’s will.

The fruit of the Spirit is…kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
(Galatians 5:22-23 and Philippians 1:11)

When Christ is our life, His nature flows through us like a steady current, shaping the way we relate to others. The fruit of the Spirit—kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—is not a list of moral aspirations but the very expression of Christ's character working through those who abide in Him.

📖 "Speak; for Thy servant heareth." — 1 Samuel 3:10

Oswald Chambers reminds us that hearing from God is not an occasional event but the natural result of an intimate life with Christ. The closer we abide in Him, the more we recognize His voice—not just in the grand moments, but in the quiet whispers of everyday life.

📖 “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts.” — Galatians 4:6

The Holy Spirit’s work in us is not simply about convicting us of sin, but about removing self from the throne of our hearts so that Christ might reign. Conviction clears the way; filling empowers. When we yield to Him, the Spirit applies the reality of “not I, but Christ” (Gal. 2:20), replacing self-effort with the life of Jesus within.

Paul's instructions in 1 Corinthians 11 call believers to honor both God’s design and each other, particularly in corporate worship. His discussion on head coverings addresses cultural expressions of respect, while his rebuke regarding the Lord’s Supper highlights the necessity of unity within the body of Christ. Underneath these issues lies a deeper truth: when we gather as the church, our focus must be on Christ rather than on status, personal rights, or divisions.