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Category Archives: Worship

Strength for the Journey

05 Apr
Strength for the Journey

We’re continuing our study through the book of Ephesians. Paul is writing to us about the riches we share as the body of Christ on earth.

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

Ephesians 3:14-15 NIV

Paul now gives us some insight into his prayer life. He’s constantly in prayer for the churches and people who have come to the Lord under his ministry. It was a great burden on his heart.

It’s important for us to see where this intercession starts. He doesn’t go right into the petitioning for God to bless these people. He starts out by kneeling before the Father.

That’s an important fact that we sometimes miss. Throughout the Bible, whenever worship is described, there are certain common elements. One of them is kneeling.

Whenever a body position is described, a worshiper is always kneeling down. Many times, they have their face to the ground. Most Christians don’t realize that this is the normal position for worship.

Because we call the songs before a service “praise and worship”, we think fast songs are praise and slow songs are worship. That’s an American church thing. It’s not the Scriptural definitions.

In reality, praise involves the body. It’s about what God has done. It could be music and singing, clapping, dancing, or loud declarations of thanks to God. Worship is very different.

Worship is about who God is. It’s an act of our spirit (John 4:23-24) with no body involvement. True worship is usually silent. It happens infrequently when a “holy hush” comes over the congregation. Most of the time we get uncomfortable and start to fidget, hoping the service will continue quickly.

Paul makes it clear that his prayer time starts with worship. He begins by quieting his heart before the Lord God. Only after his time of worship does he begin to lift up God’s people.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

Ephesians 3:16-17a NIV

Paul wants to see the church walking in the power of God. That’s how we can fully operate in the spiritual life God has for us. But, it’s important to note that this takes place through our spirits.

Again, it has a lot to do with our worship of God. We need to spend time praying in the spirit to see the power of God increasing in our lives.

The word, strengthen, in the above verse is not a one-time thing. That word implies an ongoing strengthening. We need to become spiritually stronger day by day. It’s a lot like becoming strong in the natural. I had to learn that lesson.

Now that we’re in the Spring season, my mind starts to think about hiking. Those who have read this blog for a long time will know that I love to get out and walk the Appalachian Trail. In order to be ready, I’ve been out walking whenever I can. I want to strengthen those lazy winter muscles.

Strength is a necessary part of the outdoors experience. When my wife and I started to add children to our family we stopped hiking because of the limited time we had. Since I’ve started back up again, I’ve lost 30 pounds. (Pounds that I had “found” up till that time!)

I can tell you by experience that out of shape people cannot enjoy hiking as fully as those used to the rigors of trail life. I remember well the pain in my legs and back when I first started. I had to stop every few feet while going uphill, just to breathe. Thank God, I’m starting to get in shape again!

More important than physical condition, however, is the shape of your inner being. The spiritual trail we’re on is far tougher than any wilderness trail. God wants to strengthen you for that journey.

It is going to take quality time spent in the presence of the Lord. That’s why prayer in the spirit is so beneficial. It builds you up internally. To do this you must free yourself from distractions so that you can concentrate on Christ.

As I’ve been saying, that’s what worship is all about. Spend time before Him just drinking in His Spirit. Take the time necessary so that your inner man is ready for the road ahead, no matter how rough the path.

Question: How strong is your inner man?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on April 5, 2023 in Ministry, Power of God, Prayer, Prayer in the Spirit, Revival, Spiritual Walk, Worship

 

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Boldness and Access

03 Apr
Boldness and Access

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is important in our understanding of who we are in Christ. In it, he explains many of the rich blessings of this “in Christ reality”.

In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

Ephesians 3:12 NIV

This verse talks about the two sides of our approach to God. Paul says that it’s in Him and through faith. Those are the two key necessities.

The “in Christ” part was accomplished on the cross. There was nothing I could do. We’ve been talking about this for the last few posts.

The other issue is faith. That’s on my part. I must trust that the Lord has made me worthy to enter His presence. God’s Word should give me all that I need for this kind of faith.

That’s it. There’s nothing else I need in order to approach the throne of grace. It’s not about good works or becoming a better person. I can’t gain entrance to this holy place based on what I do.

Too often we get down on ourselves. We think we’re not good enough to go before the God of the universe. I’m glad that’s not the case. Jesus Christ did all the work to make me righteous in God’s eyes. I can come before Him without fear.

The Berean Literal Bible translation has this verse a little closer to the original.

…in whom we have boldness and access in confidence, by faith in Him.

Ephesians 3:12 BLB

Boldness and access. Those are two important concepts to lay hold of in approaching God.

The word, boldness, means outspokenness in the original. It means we have the freedom to speak out what’s on our heart, without fear. That’s because, when it comes to God, He already knows what’s in our heart.

The other great word is access. That’s our admission…the freedom to enter someplace. That’s like showing up to the arena with your ticket in hand. There may be guards and security present. But you can walk right in because you have your admission ticket.

Once I have my ticket, I’m not shy about entering the arena. That’s the confidence we should have in Christ Jesus. I know what He paid for my admission to God’s presence.

Christ bought for us the ability to stand clean before our God. There’s now no more guilt, no more condemnation, and no more fear.

When starting a new project or activity, if you know that you’re prepared, there’s a sense of freedom and confidence. No matter how difficult the task is that you’ve chosen, there’s no fear, only excitement and anticipation.

That’s how it is with the Lord. He’s provided us with all that we need to approach the throne of a holy God. Equipped with that knowledge, we can put forth the faith that draws us near to His matchless presence. As His Spirit moves upon ours, we can be free from the worry of shame, humiliation, or judgment.

You can approach the throne of grace with the confidence that comes from knowing that your sins are forgiven and that you’re a new creation in Christ Jesus. Find in His presence the freedom and confidence that God promises to His children. Then take what you receive and live it out in the world around you.

Paul understood the importance of this.

I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

Ephesians 3:13 NIV

Paul is basically telling this church not to worry about him and the trials he’s going through. Paul has the same access to the Father. He can find all the grace he needs to come out victoriously for the glory of God.

Go before God boldly and spend quality time in His presence. That’s where we find all that we need for life and godliness.

Question: How often do you spend time with the Lord?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on April 3, 2023 in Encouragement, Faith, Prayer, Spiritual Walk, Worship

 

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The Blood of the New Covenant

19 Dec
The Blood of the New Covenant

In this post I’m going to continue looking at the Last Supper as recorded in Luke’s Gospel. Last time I talked about the bread, in this article we’ll see the cup of the covenant.

In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”

Luke 22:20 NIV

It should be clear from this verse that the communion cup causes us to remember the covenant. We’re in covenant with God. Unfortunately, many Christians don’t understand what that means.

In our society, we understand contracts. There’s a big difference between contracts and covenants. Contracts have an ending date, covenants are in effect forever. A contract will usually cover a specific item or job. A covenant covers every area of our lives.

But the biggest difference is that a contract simply requires a signature for it to be valid. A covenant requires the shedding of blood from both parties.

Communion remembers the blood of the covenant between God and us. Hebrews, chapter 12, talks about where we’ve come to by faith.

…to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

Hebrews 12:24 NIV

Jesus is the Mediator, or literally the go-between of this covenant. On the cross, the blood of God and man was shed by one person – Jesus Christ. He offered it for us so that we could have a part in the New Covenant.

But, more than that, we need to understand that the blood SPEAKS. Jesus was killed just like Abel. But Abel’s blood spoke of revenge and justice. Jesus’ blood speaks of forgiveness.

“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Matthew 26:28 NIV

Now that we’re in covenant with God, there’s a responsibility upon us to remember it and keep it. In a covenant, everything that either person has is available to all parties. In the natural, it would usually be two powerful people who would covenant together.

But, in our case, an all-powerful, holy God cut covenant with us. For our part we were unrighteous, sinful, imperfect, weak, and poor. I don’t have space here to list everything He provides for us. On His part, He simply asks for 10% of our wealth, some time, fellowship, and some of our strength.

This is the part of covenant we fail to think about sometimes.

He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant – not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

2 Corinthians 3:6 NIV

In our churchy way of speaking, minister means to have a position of authority over someone or something. In Scripture it actually means to be a servant to something. This verse really means that God has qualified us to serve the covenant. The good news is that we don’t serve by the letter, but by the spirit.

When we come to the Lord’s Table, we’re remembering this covenant.

“I’m in covenant with God. It’s my whole life I’m giving over for Him.”

Keep this thought in mind whenever you participate in receiving the Lord’s Supper. This should cause you to worship and praise God for all He has done for you.

Question: What should our attitudes be when receiving the Communion elements?

© 2022 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on December 19, 2022 in Faith, Spiritual Walk, The Gospel, Worship

 

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A Son Coming Home

24 Oct
A Son Coming Home

In my last post I talked about Zacchaeus from Luke chapter 19. In looking at this encounter, I talked about the Biblical principle of Sonship. Jesus had just called him down from the tree and told him that He was coming to Zacchaeus’ home.

Zacchaeus had no idea what was about to happen.

So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’”
Luke 19:6-7 NIV

These two verses show us, in a tangible way, the difference between using the power of the law and the power of the Spirit. The law is always trying to block your way. It says that you must get yourself ready before you can abide with Christ. The religious people thought that there was no way that Christ should enter Zacchaeus’ home.

I’m writing this so that you’ll know for a certainty that it doesn’t matter how you start out. Your problems, failings and lack of commitment are all things of the past. You can start fresh by abiding with Christ today.

The time to run to the Lord is before you try to fix yourself up. It’s only as you remain in His presence that you receive the power for changing your life.

Look at what happened to Zacchaeus.

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
Luke 19:8-10 NIV

Salvation had come to Zacchaeus’ house. We usually misunderstand what salvation is all about. If you can grasp its total impact in Scripture, salvation actually includes all of God’s life changing and restoring power. It was this power that was manifest in Zacchaeus’ life that day. His love of money dissipated in the light of the Spirit’s love.

But, more importantly, Jesus said that he, too, is a son. He may have gone his own way for a while, but Zacchaeus was loved by the Father. The Lord was clear that He came seeking Zacchaeus.

It’s an interesting perspective because Zacchaeus thought that he was seeking Christ. It’s just like our spiritual worship.

Scripturally, the word, worship, means to bend forward as if to kiss. If we will bend forward to kiss the Lord, then He will bend forward to kiss us.

The greatest ministry of Christ was that He came to seek and save that which was ruined. Right now the body of Christ in America is full of ruined sons and daughters. It’s time to seek the Lord.

What we’ll find is that in our seeking of Him it’s actually the Lord who’s seeking us. It’s time for us as believers not get saved, but to BE SAVED. We need to rise up to our rightful place and position of Sonship.

This can only happen as we see the importance of our relationship with the Father. This means that we understand how to relate as sons and daughters to our heavenly Father.

Question: How does Sonship change your view of who you are as a believer?

© 2022 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 24, 2022 in Encouragement, Faith, Revival, Sonship, Worship

 

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Thankful People

21 Sep
Thankful People

We’re continuing through the Gospel of Luke. Now, we see Jesus traveling throughout Israel. He’s preaching the Word and doing God’s will. As the Lord is walking along, some men with leprosy approach Him.

You may want to read Luke 17:11-19 before going on with this post. This section of Scripture gives us some insights into what it means to be thankful. It should cause you to stop and think; how thankful am I for all that God has done?

In this portion of Scripture, a group of lepers went to Jesus for healing. In these verses, we see everything needed for obtaining the blessing of God. There’s faith, obedience, and expectancy. Jesus’ response to them is simple.

He told them to go and show themselves to the priests. There was no special religious display. The Lord didn’t touch them or even pray over them. He simply gave them a task to complete. As they obeyed His command, they found they were healed along the way.

One former leper had a great response.

One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.
Luke 17:15

The first thing he does is to come back to Jesus, yelling praises on the top of his lungs. The literal Greek uses the words mega-phone. This was not a quiet thankfulness of the heart. He must have attracted a lot of attention, but he didn’t care. He wanted to praise God for what happened to him. That’s the first thing we see…

Thankful people live loud for the Lord. We must learn to have a lifestyle of praise. It’s time that God’s people come “out of the closet” with their thankfulness.

That’s because this is a normal response to the hand of God at work. It doesn’t mean that you have to yell all the time. But I am saying that God’s work should be abundantly evident in your life. But there was more…

He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him – and he was a Samaritan.
Luke 17:16

Next thing we see is this man throwing himself at Jesus’ feet. This is the position of worship.

Thankful people live a life of worship. Because we’re thankful – we worship. Worship acknowledges God for who He is. We’re simply grateful because He allows us to come before Him anytime we want, clothed in His righteousness.

But that verse also said that he thanked Jesus.

…always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:20

Are we to thank God for everything? The actual Greek says over everything. I need to thank God over everything I receive. (I don’t receive sickness, etc.)

Thankful people thank God over everything. We know the source of life and blessing. Of all people, we should be the ones who are constantly thanking God for the good things we see in our lives.

But there’s one more aspect of thankfulness that we need to look at. It comes from Jesus’ reaction to the healed man.

Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”
Luke 17:17-18

This question gives us insight into the heart of God. We all want to be loved and appreciated. Where do you think that comes from? I’ll tell you – we were created in the image of God.

Thankful people are sought out by God. Thank offerings were not required by the Law of Moses. God wanted the hearts of the people to prompt them to be thankful. When we’re thankful, it opens the door for a richer walk with the Lord. We need to take the time to be truly thankful before God.

Questions: What are you thankful to God for? Are you willing to let people know about it?

© 2022 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on September 21, 2022 in Encouragement, Faith, Prayer, Spiritual Walk, Worship

 

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You Think You Have Problems

18 May
You Think You Have Problems

As we continue through the book of Luke, we now come to the end of chapter 10. An incident takes place that we usually just quickly gloss over. But I think it holds a truth that we need to take to heart.

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.

Luke 10:38 NIV

If you remember, the 72 disciples were traveling throughout Israel making preparations for Jesus to minister at various towns. One of the towns they prepared was Bethany. A woman named Martha agreed to host the meetings in that town.

Now the day had arrived, and Martha was doing her part. But she wasn’t happy about it.

She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

Luke 10:39-40 NIV

Martha began to feel the challenges of all the things that needed to be done. As the pressure built, she had an emotional outburst. We’ve probably all been there.

There are times when we let the challenges of life get to us. We try to bottle it up inside. But, eventually the pressure gets too great and we crack. Many times it gets aimed at the very ones we love and who don’t deserve the scolding.

What you need to understand, is there was more going on here than what we see on the surface. Jesus saw what was actually at work in her life.

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:41-42 NIV

The Lord saw that Martha was “worried and upset”. That’s important to note. These words literally mean that she was distracted and caused to be in turmoil by many things going on in her life. What were those things?

First of all, her sister Mary, was a big problem in itself. For some reason she had a reputation around town as being a very sinful woman (John 11:2; Luke 7:37-38). And yet, she placed herself right at the feet of the visiting preacher.

On top of that, her brother Lazarus, had a very grave illness (John 11:1-14). He was probably bedridden. In all likelihood, Martha was the one caring for him constantly.

I don’t have the space to go into the details, but she had another concern. In my studies, I found that Martha had married a Pharisee who later contracted leprosy. Because of this, he had to leave home. The Law required him to quarantine himself away from society.

So, Martha had to bear all of these things alone. Her mind was distracted and troubled by all of these issues as she tried to host these meetings on her own. It turned out that all these things were more than she could handle. It caused her to break down.

The answer for her dilemma is the same as for us. Although she probably didn’t want to hear it any more than we do. During these times of crisis we have to spend more quality time in the presence of the Lord.

We think that the answer is to keep busy and “do something” to get out of our mess. In reality, the best thing is to simply spend some time listening to the voice of the Spirit. That’s what we really need to get us through the difficult seasons of our lives.

In the above passage, nothing is spoken of what Mary was going through. I’m sure she heard the whispers of those around her. She saw the looks of disgust on the faces of the townspeople.

In spite of all that negativity, she pushed herself to be in the position to receive the only thing that could set her free. She heard a Word from the mouth of God. Her life was changed forever.

We can experience the same thing in the Lord’s presence!

Question: How much quality time do you spend with the Holy Spirit?

© 2022 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on May 18, 2022 in Encouragement, Faith, Spiritual Walk, Worship

 

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Thanksgiving Dinner

24 Nov
Thanksgiving Dinner

Tomorrow, in the United States, we will be celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday. This was originally established to give thanks to God, for His blessing on our nation. So, I want to take a post to get our minds into that frame of reference.

I was reading in the Old Testament about thanksgiving. It was interesting to see that, in the Law of Moses, God instituted a sacrifice of thanksgiving. It’s found in Leviticus 7:11-15, but I’ll only quote one verse here.

The meat of his fellowship offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day it is offered; he must leave none of it till morning.

Leviticus 7:15

In the Old Testament there are different classifications of sacrifices. One of these is known as the fellowship offerings. They were the freewill offerings. They weren’t required. They were only offered if the worshiper wanted to.

Of these fellowship offerings, this is the “Todah” sacrifice. It’s an offering of thanksgiving by raising the hands.

In this offering, an animal was killed and the blood was drained and sprinkled upon the altar. Then, only the fat around the organs was burned on the altar.

The rest was cooked and eaten by the priest and worshiper. The priest and his family would get the breast and the right leg. The worshipers would get the rest. Along with this, the offering included four kinds of bread that they ate along with the sacrifice.

I found this to be very interesting. In the Old Testament, the Thanksgiving offering was a meal. They celebrated Thanksgiving just like us.

Did you know that a meal can be worship?

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31

Think about it. At one point Peter was rebuked for refusing to eat with Gentiles. In the New Testament we’re also instructed not to eat with hypocrites. That’s because a meal involves fellowship.

Do you see the Thanksgiving meal as worship? Make a point to mention it this year.

“This meal is an act of our worship to God.”

Why is this important? It turns out that in the Old Testament, the root of the word, fellowship, is the word, shalom. In that case, Thanksgiving is the celebration of God’s gift of shalom.

Even though shalom is usually translated as peace, there’s a lot more to it. It’s one of those huge words in Scripture. Shalom actually speaks of fullness of life, wholeness, prosperity, safety, and peace with God.

Isn’t that what Jesus came to accomplish in us?

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

John 10:10

The reason Jesus came was so that we could enter the covenant. The result of this is shalom – fullness of life.

The thanksgiving meal should celebrate what God has done for you. If you remember, you may want to pray with your hands raised this year.

Celebrate the good things God has done, and is doing in your life.

Question: What are you thankful for right now?

© 2021 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on November 24, 2021 in Encouragement, Faith, Fellowship, Worship

 

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Our Excellent God (Repost)

04 Aug
Our Excellent God (Repost)

Over the next couple of weeks or so I’ll be on vacation. While I’m gone I’ve felt that I should repost my Top 10 most read articles. Some of you have been following me long enough to have read them already. If so, my prayer is that they will again be a blessing to you.

I believe that the word excellent is overused in our society. Excellence doesn’t just mean good, or even great. It means that what’s described is far ahead of everything else. It’s not a word that should be used lightly.

It’s a descriptive word that should probably be reserved for God alone, and the things associated with Him. We serve a God of excellence. I just want to take a post to show the excellent God that we serve.

The very names that God uses about Himself point to the fact of His Excellency. Here are some examples from the Old Testament:

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalm 91:1

In this verse, God is called the Most High. This is a term of comparison. There are many things in the universe that could be considered “high.” But of all the high things and people that exist, God is the Most High. This fits perfectly into the definition of excellence.

Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
Psalm 148:13

Exalted and above are also words of comparison. They relate the Lord to His surroundings. They show that He alone is in a position of supreme excellence. There’s no other god that can even compare to our God.

My lover is radiant and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand.
Song of Songs 5:10

In the Song of Songs, written by Solomon, an allegory of the marriage between Christ and His church is put forward. Christ is referred to here as outstanding among ten thousand. This is an obvious comparison showing the excellence of Christ.

In the beginning God…
Genesis 1:1a

Before everything, there was God. All of creation sprang from His Word. He’s at the head of all He created. That’s a perfect description of excellence.

When we use the word excellent, we should be careful to understand it. We mustn’t water it down to simply describe something that pleases us. We should always be aware that we serve a God who is the very definition of excellence.

Christ truly is the Excellent One.

Question: How would you describe the Excellency of our Lord?

© 2021 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on August 4, 2021 in Encouragement, Power of God, Spirit of Excellence, Worship

 

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Four Kinds of Glory (Repost)

30 Jul
Four Kinds of Glory (Repost)

Over the next couple of weeks or so I’ll be on vacation. So, during that time, I’m reposting some of my more popular articles.

We use the word glory quite a lot in Christian circles. But what does it mean when we say, “Glory to God!”?

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14

I don’t know if you can really define glory. All you can do is see how it’s used. I want to talk about four uses – 2 from the Old Testament and 2 from the New.

Glory is the visible manifestation of God.

This is probably the most well-known. In the tabernacle and temple, there was a visible ball of light as bright as the sun. This was called The Glory.

Glory is the weight assigned to God.

How much weight do you give to what God says vs. what the world says? What Christ says vs. what the doctor says?

Ascribe to the Lord, O mighty ones, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.
Psalms 29:1-2

We must give God the weight that His name deserves.  His ways, His will, and His Word are more important than anything else. How much priority do you place on the Lord’s will for you? That’s the glory you give Him.

Glory is an opinion expressed about God.

What’s your opinion of God? That’s the glory you give Him.

“He’s nice; I talk to Him once a week.”

How do you affect the opinion others have about God? Jesus looked at it this way…

I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.
John 17:4

We give glory to God in our service to Him. Standing in church with your hands lifted doesn’t raise people’s opinions of God. It’s what you do out there on the street.  I can tell your opinion of God, by how you serve Him.

Glory is the visible sign of God at work.

This is probably the most important one. When others see God’s work in us, it brings the focus to Christ.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
2 Corinthians 4:7

We’re the clay pot that houses this glory.  Should His glory be in a clay pot?  I don’t think so, but God planned it like that. He wants His glory to be seen in us.

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31

Do everything so that people see how much weight you give to God. And how high an opinion you have of God. But mostly, so they can see God at work in and through you.

Question: How have you seen God’s glory in your life?

© 2021 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on July 30, 2021 in Encouragement, Faith, Power of God, Worship

 

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Spiritual Death

15 Mar
Spiritual Death

We’re continuing our walk through the book of Romans. We left off talking about how the law puts a spotlight on sin. Here’s the verse we were looking at.

Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.

Romans 7:13

In my last post, I said that when death came to Adam and Eve, it caused them to lose their relationship with God. I want to talk about that in a little more detail.

Remember, Adam was perfect before he fell into sin. That means that he functioned perfectly according to God’s plan for him. What does that mean?

“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”

John 4:24

This is something that Jesus said to the woman He met with at a well. A question we don’t usually ask is; did Adam worship God perfectly? I believe that he did. Adam and Eve worshiped God in spirit and in truth before they lost their perfect state.

If they worshiped with the spirit, that means that they didn’t have to use physical words. They talked and communed with God on His level. That’s what God created them for.

Does Scripture bear this out? I believe that it does. Look at what happened immediately after they sinned.

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?”

He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

Genesis 3:8-10

This is the very first time a sound is ever mentioned in the Bible. This is the first time they hear God with their physical ears. That’s why they were so afraid.

Now sin had a spotlight, and serving God was by rules and the law. Right and wrong was now the rule of righteousness. In that sense they died – they lost their spiritual relationship with God.

This is the relationship that’s restored in Christ.

But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.

Romans 8:10

That’s the life we received in Christ. He renewed our relationship with God in the spirit. That brings us back to where we left off in Romans, chapter 7.

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.

Romans 7:14

Paul is now explaining to us a new concept. He’s telling us that the law exists spiritually. We have to realize that there’s a spiritual law.

Yes, Adam served God in the spirit. But spiritual laws work differently than physical laws.

Paul wants to make it clear that even though there’s a spiritual law, he’s talking about the carnal, fleshly law. It’s because of this law that we’re sold into slavery to sin.

Wait a minute! What about Christians? In my next post we’ll see how this principle plays out in the lives of believers. It’s an important concept for us to understand.

Question: How do you cultivate your spiritual relationship with God?

© 2021 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on March 15, 2021 in Legalism, Spiritual Walk, The Gospel, Worship

 

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