For Your Sake

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

II Corinthians 8:9

It is wonderful to be the recipient of the sacrifice of another; in one way or another, we all are.  We live and breath today because of the sacrifice of our parents. We have had teachers and mentors who were willing to sacrifice their time and energy to mold us into something better than we would have been without their efforts. We could pile example upon example of those who have contributed to us in ways both great and small. No sacrifice shines more brightly than that of Christ, Our Savior. The words we are concentrating upon from our text are these, ‘for your sake.’ For my sake? My, what an overwhelming thought! Here am I, a poor, helpless, and vile wretch; a rebel against God; hard-hearted, and full of sin. That this rich Christ, wealthy in all moral virtue and spiritual prosperity would be willing to humble Himself to such a low estate for the sake of someone such as I, is beyond all comprehension. Does this thought not draw out my soul in love and wonder? Here is the Great Savior bending low to take the place of such a great sinner as I am. What a noble exchange! What an overwhelming evidence of Love and Sacrifice! Today, we bow at the Feet of this utterly, Beneficent Savior. We marvel at His Grace and Favor. We bask in His Love. We say with Thomas, ‘My Lord, and my God!’

Our most Loving and Kind Savior,
We praise You that You have so humbled Yourself,
to do us such great good.
We are overwhelmed that You would be so merciful
to such people as we are.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

 

To Forego Privilege

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

II Corinthians 8:9

There is nothing intrinsically wrong with being a person of privilege. God has, in His Providence and for His Own Glory, placed some people in that position. They are not wrong for being there, nor is it wrong to bring children into the world who are, in fact, privileged. The difficulty arises when pride and arrogance makes those people of privilege believe that they are better than others. This provokes them to cling very tightly to that position, and ‘to despise others.’ By contrast, we see Christ, in our text today Who, ‘though He was rich, yet for your sake he became poor.’ Here we find the truly spiritual use of privilege. We find that Christ, Who was, indeed the most ‘privileged’ of persons, forewent that position of privilege to relate utterly and completely, to those who are ‘of low estate.’ Behold, the compassion and utter humility of this condescending Christ, Who was willing to forego the greatest position of privilege in order to do the greatest good to the greatest number of people, all of whom were ‘of low estate.’  Here is the living embodiment of ‘practical Christianity.’ This is so much more than ‘checkbook evangelism.’ Here is ‘Christlikeness’ in the most Christlike form. ‘Though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor.’ So let us learn Christ; for the contemplation of Christ will lead us to the imitation of Christ.

Our Most Holy and Gracious Savior,
Your Bounty is immeasurable.
You have showered us with abundance.
You have made us rich, and we are rich indeed.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

The Grace That Condescends

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

II Corinthians 8:9

It is most difficult for those who occupy highly exalted positions to identify with the lowly. To have real empathy, that enables that highly exalted one, to humble themselves and assume the beggar’s cloak, requires exceptional grace. This is a rare gem of the first water.  So rare, indeed, that we find it on very few occasions in humanity, and even in Christianity. As in all other virtues, Christ shows us the way by His example. Our text for the next few days begins, ‘For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ How do we know it generally? We know it from the Scriptures. There we see Christ, in His pre-incarnate Glory, sitting upon His Throne, as Isaiah saw him, receiving the worship of angels, seated in the Temple in glorious Splendor. This enables us to see clearly the height of His exalted position. By contrast, as we look to the Gospels, we are able to clearly see the depths of His humiliation, in that He humbles Himself, ‘being born, and that in a low estate.’ His arrival is meek and without great fanfare, except for the revelation to a few shepherds on an obscure hillside. He assumes the form of a peasant child. He attracts no attention unto Himself. What an astounding evidence of grace. If we are to understand the fullness and the richness of the Person and Work of Christ, we must contemplate the grace that He has evidenced in stepping down from such a great height to assume such a lowly position. Here is Amazing Grace in the most amazing of Persons.

Our Gracious and Loving Savior,
we praise You that You condescend to us in our low estate.
We rejoice that You meet us where we are,
in order to raise us up to where You are.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

The Old And The New

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

II Corinthians 5:17

The Apostle Paul closes this verse upon which we have been meditating for the past days with these words, ‘old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.’ It is a sober challenge to accurately describe this as it occurs in real time in the life of the regenerated soul. Permit this illustration, please. The owner of a building desires to have it completely renovated. To that end, he makes a plan, and produces that plan on paper. He includes every detail. Nothing is lacking in the design. He sees the end from the beginning. In his mind, the whole project is a done thing; but there is much work in real time to complete in order for his plan to become a reality. All the old must go by degrees, because the inhabitants of the building will be living there, throughout the process. They will interact with the people he brings in to do the work. They will participate with the workers and tradesmen. As the old things go, the new things arrive to replace them. This describes what God does in the life of the regenerated person who is ‘in Christ,’ and a ‘new creation.’ In the panoramic view of God’s Eternal Present, the project of our total transformation is complete. In real time, there is the ongoing process of sanctification which means, out with the old, and in with the new. We are witnesses and participants for the whole of the transformation. God, by His Spirit, is ‘renewing us in the whole person after the image of Christ.’ We have every reason to rejoice in this wonderful ongoing work of Grace.

Our Holy, Sanctifying God, We praise and magnify Your Holy Name,
that You utterly transform us, by Your Almighty power.
Evermore continue Your great and gracious work to conform us to the
Image of Christ.

Where the Bush is Burning
Tomm Tice

A New Creation

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

II Corinthians 5:17

Whereas, at the beginning of this verse, the Apostle Paul raises the subject of our soul’s position in Christ, he goes on, in the second part to address the matter of our soul’s regeneration. We, who were out of Christ, are positionally in Christ. God chose us in Christ, ‘before the foundation of the world.’ In the course of human chronology, however, there must come a new birth to those of us who are born ‘dead in trespasses and sins.’ Christ speaks of the necessity of this, in His address to Nicodemus, when He says, ‘You must be born again.’ Who does this birthing? John speaks in the first chapter of his gospel of those, ‘who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.’ We see that it is God the Creator, Who enacts this ‘new creation’ by the power of His Word and the Agency of His Spirit, in the same manner in which He created the world. He speaks, the Spirit acts, and it is done. The outward manifestation of the inward regeneration is conversion. Our testimony is that of the old hymn. ‘I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew, He moved my soul to seek Him, seeking me. It was not I, who found, O Savior True; no, I was found of thee.’ The praise and glory for our new birth belongs to God and God alone. He has placed us ‘in Christ.’ He has regenerated us, and caused us to be ‘born again.’ Salvation is, from start to finish, the work of God. Let us together praise Him today for this saving work.

Our Gracious and Holy Saving God,
we rejoice today in your redemption, accomplished and applied.
We give You glory, honor and praise,
that You have saved us by free and sovereign grace.

Where the Bush is Burning
Tomm Tice