“If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (1 John 4:20 ESV)

The truth is not in the hypocrite

“Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” (1 John 2:4 ESV)

The hypocrite’s heart is far from God

“You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” (Matt. 15:7-9 ESV)

Hypocrites won’t escape God’s judgement

“Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God?”

Covered things will be revealed

“Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.” (Luke 12:2 ESV)

The answer to hypocrisy

“You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.” (Matt. 7:5 ESV)

“Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.” (1 Peter 2:16 ESV)

 Love your enemies and pray for them

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. (Luke 6:27-29 NIV)

Do to others what you’d have then do to you

“Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:30-31 NIV)

Even sinners love those who love them

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.” (Luke 6:32-34 NIV)

Don’t expect anything back

“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.” (Luke 6:35 NIV)

God is kind to the ungrateful and wicked

“Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. ((Luke 6:35-36 NIV)

 “One Lord, one faith, one baptism…” (Eph. 4:5 ESV)

Not long after receiving Christ as my personal savior I was baptized. I had read the Scriptures about being baptized and wanted to be obedient to God’s Word regarding the matter.

The baptism of Jesus

“And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him.” (Matt. 3:16 ESV)

All were baptized

“Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:21-22 ESV)

Baptizing in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

“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.” (Matt. 28:19 ESV)

We were buried with Him in Baptism

“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” (Rom. 6:4 ESV)

You were raised with him through faith

“Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses.” (Col. 2:12-13 ESV)

 “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Gal. 5:1 ESV)

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

- The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America- July 4, 1776

You are called to freedom

“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” (Gal. 5:13 ESV)

There is freedom where the Spirit of the Lord is

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Cor. 3:17 ESV)

Live as free people serving God

“Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.” (1 Peter 2:16 ESV)

Freedom from sin leads to eternal life

“But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.” (Rom. 6:22 ESV)

 The way we previously were… dead in our transgressions and sins

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. (Eph. 2:2-3 NIV)

But then, God made us alive in Christ by grace

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” (Eph. 2:4-5niv)

And next, God raised us up with Christ and seats us in heavenly places with Jesus

“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus…” (Eph. 2:6 NIV)

And He did it for a reason

“…in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” (Eph. 2:7 NIV)

And it happened by the gift of God’s grace though faith

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9 NIV)

We are therefore God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph. 2:10 NIV)

 “Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.” (Is. 65:24 ESV)

Ask, seek, knock and you will find

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matt. 7:7 ESV)

Pray using the promise of agreement

“Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.” (Matt. 18:19 ESV)

Pray using the promise of thanksgiving

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:6-7 ESV)

The Holy Spirit fixes our imperfect prayers

“And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will. (Rom. 8:26-27 NLT)

 “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24 NIV).

This passage says, “Believe that you have received it” (past tense). And “it will be yours” (future tense.)

In other words, you must believe (expect) in order to receive. God wants to answer your prayers, therefore, in faith, you can expect him to answer you.

Fully expect and hope in boldness

“For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past.” (Phil. 1:20a NLT)

Faith is confidence and assurance about what we do not see (but do expect)

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

When your heart trusts (expects) you are helped

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.” (Psalm 28:7 ESV)

 “...to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes.” (Is. 61:3 NIV)

In Old Testament biblical times people sat in ashes or covered themselves with ashes to express mourning or loss, such as grief over a distressing situation (2 Sam 13:19), grief over a national disaster (Esther 4:1), or grief associated with repentance from one's own sin (Jonah 3:5-7). The promise of "beauty for ashes" is a promise to God's people that He planned to deliver them from their plight and to ultimately send them the Messiah.

God’s promise of redemption

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

Jesus is God’s answer to His promise of giving “beauty for ashes”

Today, we turn to Jesus for encouragement and hope when facing difficult circumstances. Jesus said...

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free. Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”    (Luke 4:18-21 NIV)

 “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints.” (2 Cor. 14:33 ESV)

God is not the author of confusion

The Bible says that God had created everything and that it was “good” (Gen. 1:31). But then the devil corrupted it with sin and caused the world to have confusion and disorder.  “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (John 3:8 ESV)

The devil subjected the world to corruption but God brings freedom from its bondage

“For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” (Rom. 8:19-21 ESV)

Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil

“The one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8 NASB)

Jesus has overcome the world

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John. 16:33 ESV)

Do all things decently and in order

“But all things should be done decently and in order.” (1 Cor. 14:40 ESV)