Category Archives: 5x5x5 Reading Plan

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What Love!

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: I John 3
Meditation: I John 3:1

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God.  And that is what we are!”

Shift Your Focus… Imagine that—you are a beloved child of God.  What incredible love the Father has lavished on you that he should make you his very own!  You were once outside the family of God, with no hope and no future.  You were an enemy of God, living in disobedience to his law, the deserving object of his righteous wrath because of your sinful nature.  You were a mess.

But then, God in his love sent his one and only son, Jesus, to rescue you from the helplessness and hopelessness of your sinful condition.  He took upon himself the wrath that you deserved, and he paid the full price for your pardon. He took your sin into his own body—he became sin for you—so that you could become righteous before God.

What love indeed!

Think about this:  You received a full and unconditional pardon from the penalty of death, and thus, you are no longer an object of God’s just judgment.  But there’s more; God’s love didn’t stop there.  You were not only pardoned, you were adopted into God’s very own family.  You who were once an enemy are now brought near to God’s heart and given a place in God’s kingdom.  A permanent place was set for you at the King’s table and you were given a position of purpose in his eternal plan.

What love indeed!

All because of God’s love, you were made a child of God.  What love the Father has bestowed upon one so undeserving as you.  And now you are called his very own.  That is who you are!

What love indeed!

“To use the grace given is the certain way to obtain more grace. To use all the faith you have will bring an increase of faith.” ~John Wesley

Prayer… Father, I am your child.  Nothing can change that.  No one can take that away from me. What love indeed, that you should call me your own.  And now, Father, what love I have for you, because you first loved me.

 

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Call It What It Is

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: I John 2
Meditation: I John 2:4, 6

“The man who says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him…Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”

Shift Your Focus… An overwhelmingly high percentage of Americans claim Christianity as their faith, yet there is not a correspondingly high number of people who are walking as Jesus did. Obviously, this points to a fatal misunderstanding of what it truly means to be Christian.

Claiming to be a Christian doesn’t make you one anymore than going through the MacDonald’s drive-thru makes you a “Happy Meal.”  For too many, the only thing Christian about them is their claim.  Neither their internal character nor their lifestyles match what they say they believe.

I recently listened to a Washington insider speak of high profile elected leaders who claim Christianity as their faith, regularly attend Bible study, and share their faith with others, yet support causes that most committed Christ-followers would find reprehensible.  “How are they able to manage what seems to be mutually exclusive positions?” the insider was asked.  The leaders compartmentalize their Christian beliefs from their Washington world.

This is just one example of the kind of incongruence we now witness on a widespread basis in our society.  Yet these incongruent values are rarely, if ever, challenged by people of faith, who don’t want to come off as judgmental, narrow and intolerant.

I know I am on dangerous and unpopular ground in making a judgment about the authenticity of this type of so-called faith in Christ, but somebody’s got to say it…someone needs to point out that claiming Christ is only authenticated when we walk as Christ did.  In other words, sexual purity, moral fortitude, financial integrity, humility, kindness, and a thousand other virtues must distinguish both our inner being as well as our public identity.

There ought to be a distinguishable difference if we are going to claim Christ as our Lord and Savior.  Claiming him in name only won’t wash with God on the day we stand before him.

Jesus said, “If you love me, you will do what I command.”  That—and nothing else—qualifies one to be Christian.

“Beside Jesus, the whole lot of us are so contemptible…But God is like Jesus, and like Jesus, He will not give up until we, too, are like Jesus.”  ~Frank C. Laubach

Prayer… Father, I pray for the courage and wisdom to confront the incongruent faith that is rampant in our land in a way that will open hearts and minds to what it truly means to be Christian.  Give me your compassion so that I will not be judgmental.  And Lord, help me to walk as Jesus did so that I can speak with authority before a world that needs to see the authentic Jesus.

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God Is Faithful

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: John 1
Meditation: John 1:9

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Shift Your Focus… Most believers have favorite verses from the Bible:  John 3:16—“For God so loved the world…” Jeremiah 29:11—“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord…” Ephesians 2:10—“We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus…”

I John 1:9, if not my favorite verse, certainly represents a promise that I have most often claimed.  In fact, if you are like me, you use this verse early and often.  Though I do not make a practice of deliberately sinning, I do have my moments when I give into temptation, surrender to the flesh and fail God.  Frankly, I am a sinner.

But that—sinner—is not my true identity.  Rather, I am a sinner saved by grace.  That is the true me; one whose sinful nature and whose acts of sin are covered by God’s grace.

The truth is, we all sin.  Every Christ-follower who wants to do away with sin stumbles, sometimes in small ways, sometimes largely.  But by God’s grace, Jesus has made a way for us to be relieved of our sins simply, thoroughly and unconditionally, when we humbly and honestly confess them before him.

When we confess our sins, he forgives us!  How awesome is that!  Each time we sin, Jesus has already atoned for that sin by the blood he shed on the cross.  So when we confess, we are simply tapping into the inexhaustible reservoir of forgiveness Jesus deposited by his sacrificial death.

Now some people, including me, at times feel so badly about their sin that they wonder if it has truly been forgiven.  One of the wonderful things about the truth proclaimed in this verse is that our forgiveness doesn’t rest on our feelings; it rests on God’s faithfulness.  Notice what John wrote:  “When we confess our sins, God is faithful to forgive us our sins.”

Nor is our forgiveness affected by the presence of guilt.  There are times, frankly, that I will still feel very badly days later about a sin that I have already confessed.  But guilt doesn’t mean I am not forgiven. Bear in mind that forgiveness is based on God’s justice: “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” You might still feel guilty, but that doesn’t affect God.  He was completely just in forgiving your awful sin because Jesus already bore the punishment for it.

I am so grateful for the truth of this verse, and I suspect that you are too.  For sure, we need to do away with sin in our lives, but when we don’t, when we blow it, we can go to God and he eagerly and freely forgives us for Jesus’ sake.

How great is that?  No other god is like our God—we are most blessed.

“Free grace can go into the gutter, and bring up a jewel!” ~Charles Spurgeon

Prayer… Father, forgive me from all unrighteousness and cleanse me thoroughly through the blood of Jesus so that I can be kept in right standing in your awesome presence.  Steer me away from evil and keep me on the paths of righteousness this day.  And thank you for the inexhaustible gift of forgiveness made possible by your grace.  Though I hope I don’t have to tap into it again this day, I’m sure I will.

 

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Being Good!

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Titus 3
Meditation: Titus 3:1, 8, 14

“Be ready to do whatever is good…stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good…Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good.”

Shift Your Focus… Paul seems to be pretty insistent that our faith get translated into good—good thoughts, good words, good actions. He was very clear, however, that our good works could never save us—verse five reminds us that: “God saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” Nevertheless, the goodness and mercy of God that made our salvation possible must now lead us to demonstrate goodness and mercy through our lives to others.

There seems to be such an emphasis in our day on salvation apart from works, almost as if we are not obligated in any sense to do works. Yet Paul is teaching that authentic salvation is verified by the good that comes from our lives. Salvation is not the result of any good on our part, but our salvation produces good in us and causes good to flow through us.

As Martin Luther pointed out, “Good works do not make a good man, but a good man does good works.” Stated more forcefully, if good works are not a large part of what makes you, you, it very well could be that you need to check the authenticity of your salvation.

How are you in the goodness area? Are you ready to do good—is there proactive goodness in your life? Are you devoted to doing good—are you strategically active doing good in this present moment? Are you learning to do good—are you contemplating creative ways to express goodness to the people in your world?

Be good! In light of how good God has been to you, you really ought to be really good!

“The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us; just as the roof of a sunhouse does not attract the sun because it is bright, but becomes bright because the son shines on it.” ~C.S. Lewis

Prayer… God, you have been so good to me. You saved me when I didn’t deserve it. You’ve blessed me when I haven’t deserved it. You love me, are kind to me, and have provided for my eternity when I don’t deserve that kind of goodness. Now, O Lord, help me to pass on that same kind of goodness through my life to everyone I come in contact with. May people know how good you are by how good I am.

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Practice What You Preach

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Titus 2
Meditation: Titus 2:7

“Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching.”

Shift Your Focus… The key to stress-free living, an effective witness, and authentic discipleship is the convergence of your beliefs and your behavior. Conversely, the number one source of stress in your life, the single greatest destroyer of your witness, and the thing that impedes your walk with Christ as a disciple as much as anything are incongruent values—when your beliefs don’t match your behavior.

That’s why Paul is challenging Titus to practice what he is preaching. That’s your call as well.  If you are going to talk the talk, then you ought to walk the walk. Christ followers who don’t are constantly trying to cover for their incongruent lives, and that’s the primary reason for why they live under so much stress. Likewise, their inconsistent and incongruent living exposes them as hypocrites. When they say one thing but do another, their witness becomes worthless. Furthermore, the incongruence between their beliefs and their behavior critically damages their discipleship by violating the clear demand of Jesus that “if you love me, do what I say!”

Simply live out in your everyday life what you believe in your heart and you will live a great and God-honoring life. You will, as Paul says in verse 10, make your belief in God your Savior “attractive in every way.”

  • If you believe in holiness, put off sinful living.
  • If you believe in justice, practice fairness in all you do.
  • If you believe in self-control, don’t get drunk.
  • If you believe in purity, stay away from pornography.
  • If you love the lost, witness to them.
  • If you love the poor, serve them.
  • If you love the body of Christ, show up to church.
  • If you love God, start tithing.
  • If you love your spouse, show it.
  • If you love your parents, honor them.
  • If you love your neighbor, don’t gossip about them.
  • If you love yourself, eat right and exercise a little.
  • If you love the Bible, read it.
  • If you want less stress, live out your beliefs.
  • If you want to point people to Christ, practice what you preach.
  • If you want to be a disciple, do what Jesus commanded.

In everything you do, reflect the convergence of your belief with your behavior!

“I cannot find language of sufficient energy to convey my sense of the sacredness of private integrity.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Prayer… Dear Lord, give me the grace and strength to do what I believe. May there always be integrity in my walk and congruence between my beliefs and my behavior. In everything I do, may I be pleasing to you and a living witness to a lost world of a loving God.

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The Reason You’re Where You Are

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Titus 1
Meditation: Titus 1:5

“The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished…”

Shift Your Focus… Think about this:  The reason you may want to leave something may be the very reason God has you in there in the first place.

It may be your job or church or a relationship or a place of ministry. Perhaps the going is tough and you want to get going.  You’ve come to realize that the grass would be greener somewhere else, and you’d rather be there.  Life would be a lot easier if you just packed up and left—got a new job, found a new church, ditched that relationship for a healthier one, or turned in your resignation from that ministry commitment.

That’s what Titus wanted to do.  Paul had left him on the Island of Crete to pastor the church there.  Apparently, the Cretan Community Church was full of—well, Cretans. They were neither the easiest people to shepherd nor the easiest church to lead, and Titus had informed Paul that since it wasn’t going so well, he was ready for a better assignment.

But Paul knew it was a tough place.  He knew that when he assigned Crete to Titus.  He even admitted to this young pastor here in chapter one, “Even one of their own prophets has said, ‘Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.’”  And that was on a good day!

However, that was the very reason they needed a pastor.  That was the purpose for which Titus was sent—to straighten that very mess out.  That was this young minister’s raison d’etre—his reason for being there.  Paul says, in effect, “buck up, buddy, that’s why I left you there.  Bloom where I’ve planted you.  Straighten out them out, then we’ll talk.

The Cretans needed someone like Titus who had the ministry of straightening out.  And it may be God has given you that ministry, too.  Maybe that’s why you are where you are, your raison d’être.  Perhaps the very thing that is tempting you to leave your job or relationship or church or the ministry you are in is exactly why God has placed you there.

Don’t be so quick to run! Bloom where God has planted you.  You may be the only rose those thorns will ever know.

“The best way out is always through.”  ~Robert Frost

Prayer… Father, may I never be too quick to run.  May I be faithful to the call you have placed upon me.  Help me to see when the difficulties I am facing are the very reasons why I need to stay put and stay faithful.

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Live Your Epitaph—Starting Now

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: II Timothy 4
Meditation: II Timothy 4:7-8

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

Shift Your Focus… This is the self-summation of Paul’s life—carved in perpetuity by God’s hand in the granite of His eternal Word as a living witness to the faithful life Paul lived.  This is his epitaph, if you will.

And one day you, too, will have an epitaph chiseled on a tombstone.  If you doubt that, take a stroll through a cemetery and you’ll see that everyone gets one.  In fact, I’d highly recommend that stroll, because what you read on the final markers tells a lot about the lives of those buried beneath them…and so it shall be for you!  A New England headstone captured that sobering truth well:

As you pass by and cast an eye
As you are now so once was I

Epitaphs like that confront you with the unavoidable reality that one day you will have your entire life summed up and chiseled onto a stone for others to read. Paul got an epitaph…I will get one…you will get one, too.  The only question is, what will yours say? I hope mine will be like Paul’s:

I have fought the good fight
I have finished the race
I have kept the faith

Whatever you want yours to say means that you’ve got to live your life that way between now and then—starting today!

“No man ever repented of being a Christian on his death bed.”  ~Hannah More

Prayer… Dear Father, teach me to number my days aright, that I may gain a heart of wisdom.  My I live each and every day so as to hear you say on that final day, “well done, good and faithful servant.”