https://www.facebook.com/2300001113570958/

Purpose Filled Life Ministries, San Pablo City (2026)

22/12/2025

To: Zach Delos Santos
From: Purpose-Filled Life Ministries

Happy Blessed Birthday, Zach! We're so excited to have you as part of our music team. May God bless you with creativity, skill, and a heart that is always tuned to His voice. Remember, just like the Psalms encourage us to make a joyful noise to the Lord, may your music always be pleasing to Him (Psalm 98:4). We pray for blessings in every area of your life.

08/03/2023

https://fb.watch/j8NNBUouAe/

28/02/2023

https://fb.watch/iZLc_ph3E1/

26/02/2023

😍

Sunday - 26 February 2023
"Overcome evil with GOD's goodness”
Romans 12:21

Do not be overcome and conquered by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:21 AMP

Romans 12:21 says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” This verse follows exhortations such as “Bless those who persecute you” (verse 14) and “Do not repay anyone evil for evil” (verse 17). The theme of the passage is how to love with sincerity (verse 9), and the instructions require us to set aside our natural inclinations. God’s way always challenges our fleshly nature and calls us to live at a higher level by the Spirit’s power. The human way is to curse those who curse us and try to overcome evil with more evil. But, according to Romans 12:21, we can only overcome evil with good. God’s goodness is stronger than any evil.

Jesus was the perfect example of overcoming evil with good: “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23). In submitting Himself to the evil of His captors, He conquered sin, Satan, and death (Ephesians 4:8–10). Evil thought it won that day when it nailed Christ to the cross. But because Jesus was fully surrendered to the will and plan of His Father, the Son of God overcame their evil with good. Though the actions against Christ were in themselves evil, Jesus’ death and later resurrection overcame that evil by purchasing forgiveness and eternal life for everyone who would believe (John 1:12; 3:16–18; 20:31).

We overcome evil the same way, with good. The Lord says that vengeance belongs to Him and He will repay (Hebrews 10:30). We can entrust ourselves to God, just like Jesus did, and know that He will work even those evil acts committed against us for our good (Genesis 50:20; Romans 8:28). When we refuse to respond in kind to those who would persecute us, their evil actions stand alone, whereas retaliation brings us down to the level of the instigators. When two people are fighting, and one is clearly attacking the other, evil is highlighted for all to see. When we return a soft word, a kindness, or generosity to someone who has wronged us, we leave the perpetrator alone in his evil.

Proverbs 25:21–22 says, “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.” Paul quotes this passage in Romans 12:20, just before his command to “overcome evil with good.” To “heap burning coals on his head” probably refers to the natural response of the enemy to kindness. Nothing makes us feel more shamed and embarrassed by our actions than someone reacting to our hurtful behavior with gentle forgiveness. Kindness in the face of unkindness demonstrates the stark contrast between the two. The goal of a gentle reaction to the enemy is not to embarrass or get the last word but to help facilitate repentance in the evildoer.

If we remember a few key things, we are on our way to overcoming evil with good:

1. I am not the judge; God is. He will do what is right (Genesis 18:25).

2. As a Christian, my response to evil should not copy the world’s behavior but reflect Christ, who is in me (Romans 12:1–2).

3. Keeping my eyes on Jesus helps me know how to respond when I am treated poorly (Hebrews 12:2).

4. God is always watching and evaluating my choices, and He wants to reward me for obeying Him (Matthew 5:43–48).

Jesus reminded the Pharisees that Satan cannot drive out Satan (Matthew 12:25–28). Likewise, evil cannot drive out evil. An evil response only doubles the evil. When we respond to evil in humility and grace, we are proving that good triumphs over wickedness. We cannot stop people from doing evil, but they cannot force us to participate with them. It takes no power, might, or wisdom to retaliate against evildoers. But returning good for evil is one of the greatest demonstrations of strength.

24/02/2023

😍

Saturday - 25 February 2023
"Keep our eyes on JESUS”
Hebrews 12:2

[looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work].
Hebrews 12:2 AMP

Hebrews 12:2 says that we should be “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

In Hebrews 11, the writer goes through a long list of faithful examples that the readers of the letter would do well to follow. He begins chapter 12 with this: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” So believers are pictured as being in a race. They can look at the examples that have gone before them. The people in Hebrews 11 are the “cloud of witnesses” mentioned in Hebrews 12:1. In order to “run” effectively, believers need to get rid of sin and other entanglements. People who are serious about running races do not carry extra baggage—you have never seen an Olympic runner carrying a suitcase or talking on a cell phone during the race. Everything that is not absolutely essential is left behind. And to win the race, the runner must finish. The athlete must not give up before finishing. Perseverance is required.

The author of Hebrews then calls believers to consider the ultimate example of perseverance—Jesus. Runners in an athletic competition cannot be distracted by peripheral objects. As runners in the race of life, we must “fix our eyes on Jesus.” As we run, we must be looking at Him in faith. He is more than our example; He is our final destination. We must run toward Him with all our might, in the promise that we will be conformed to His image.

Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus is the “pioneer” of our faith. He is the one who blazed the trail. He is the one who made the way into the Holy of Holies so that the rest of us could follow into God’s presence (Hebrews 10:19–20). Jesus is also the “perfecter” of our faith—He is the one who brought it to completion. He did not just start it; He finished it. The verse goes on to explain just how He finished.

First, Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus endured the cross. There in Gethsemane, He determined to carry out the will of the Father (Matthew 26:39). He did this by focusing on the joy that was to come. He knew that He would be resurrected and restored to the place of glory that He had with the Father from the beginning (John 17:5). He looked forward with joy to the people He would save. He willingly gave His life to save His sheep (John 10:10–11).

Second, Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus scorned the shame of the cross. Crucifixion was a gruesome, tortuous death, and it included public humiliation and shame. Jesus was ridiculed as He was hanging on the cross. The sign hung above Him read “King of the Jews,” a cruel irony since it was true, but those who murdered Him did not believe it. Others on the ground mocked Him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One” (Luke 23:35). The cruel irony is that He could only save others by not saving Himself. He was truly the Messiah, and this prevented Him from coming down off the cross. He was the Chosen One, and He had been chosen for the very purpose of dying as God’s sacrifice for sin. It is also an irony that God would deliver Him, but only after He endured the cross.

Third, Hebrews 12:2 says that, after Jesus’ death, God raised Him from the dead, and Jesus ascended into heaven where He now sits at the right hand of God the Father. This signifies Jesus’ authority (at the right hand) and the fact that His work is finished (He sat down). This position is contrasted with the priests at the time who were standing and offering daily sacrifices (Hebrews 10:11–13).

The original audience of the book of Hebrews seems to have been Jews who had professed faith in Christ but who were now facing persecution from the unbelieving Jews. They were tempted to turn back, to renounce Christ and to go back to the temple and the sacrificial system. Believers who read the book of Hebrews today are faced with a similar temptation: the world and what we have left behind are always calling to us, wanting us to go back—if not to permanently return, at least to go back for visits as often as possible. But we are running a race. There is no time to backtrack or dillydally. The race we are running is probably more like a military-style obstacle course than a nice and neat Olympic race. There are real dangers along the way, but we must keep moving forward. We have the examples of past saints to follow, but our supreme example is Jesus Himself, the one who blazed the way, finished the race, paid for our sins, and is now seated in the place of highest honor and authority. We look to Him, not only as our example but as our source of strength.

22/02/2023

😍

Thursday - 23 February 2023
"The Truth will set you free”
John 8:32

And you will know the truth [regarding salvation], and the truth will set you free [from the penalty of sin].”
John 8:32 AMP

“The truth will set you free” is a common saying in academic circles that want to promote academic freedom and the power of learning. Many universities have this statement emblazoned on a sign near the entrance of a building. But “the truth will set you free” did not originate in academia; Jesus said it in John 8:32. In context, Jesus’ statement has nothing to do with classroom learning. In fact, John 8:32 speaks of a higher form of knowledge than is capable of being learned in a classroom.

Jesus had just finished a speech at the temple where He delineated differences between Himself and His listeners. “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins” (John 8:23–24). The result of Jesus’ message was that “even as he spoke, many believed in him” (verse 30). Then, in verse 31, Jesus begins to speak just to those who had believed.

“Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples’” (John 8:31). True discipleship is more than intellectual assent; those who are “really” followers of Christ will “hold to” His Word. That means they will not only accept His teachings as truth, but they will also obey His teachings. Action is proof of faith (cf. James 2:17).

True disciples of Jesus believe that He speaks the truth about God and the Scriptures. They also know that He is who He claims to be. Back in verse 25, the people asked Jesus who He was, and He responded, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning.” There may be a tinge of exasperation in His response; He had repeatedly made known that He was the Messiah, the one they had anticipated for many years.

Verse 32 begins with, “Then you will know the truth.” “You” refers to those who are true disciples of Jesus. True disciples will know the truth. More than that, their eyes are opened to a greater understanding of the truth (cf. 1 John 5:20).

The truth Jesus’ disciples receive brings with it freedom. Jesus continues, “And the truth will set you free” (verse 32). At that point in history, the Jews were under the rule of the Roman government. Even though Rome gave them an exceptional amount of autonomy, they were keenly aware of the Roman presence around them in the form of soldiers, governors, and empirically appointed kings. When Jesus said the truth would set them free, however, He was not talking about political freedom (though the following verses indicate that’s how the Jews took it). Jesus provides the best commentary for His own statement in verse 34. Jesus explains, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” Being a slave to sin is the ultimate bo***ge.

The freedom Jesus offers is a spiritual freedom from the bo***ge of sin—that is, release from the lifestyle of habitual lawlessness. He continues with an analogy: “Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever” (verse 35). The people would have understood Jesus to mean that they were not members of God’s family, despite their biological relationship to Abraham (verse 37), because they were slaves to sin. If they were to become disciples of Jesus, they would know the truth of their condition and the truth about Christ, and Jesus would set them free. Believers would be freed from their bo***ge and brought into the family of God.

Jesus is the Truth (John 14:6). Knowing the Truth will set one at liberty—free from sin, free from condemnation, and free from death (Romans 6:22; 8:1–2). Jesus came to proclaim liberty to the captives (Luke 4:18). “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).

21/02/2023

😍

Wednesday - 22 February 2023
"Return to ME with all your heart”
Joel 2:12‭-‬13

“Even now,” says the Lord, “Turn and come to Me with all your heart [in genuine repentance], With fasting and weeping and mourning [until every barrier is removed and the broken fellowship is restored]; Rip your heart to pieces [in sorrow and contrition] and not your garments.” Now return [in repentance] to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness [faithful to His covenant with His people]; And He relents [His sentence of] evil [when His people genuinely repent].
Joel 2:12‭-‬13 AMP

The prophet Joel functioned as a spiritual watchman over Judah. In Joel 2:12–19, he pleaded with the nation to turn to the Lord in genuine repentance as the only way to avoid the devastating destruction of the coming “day of the Lord” (Joel 1:15). The prophet’s call began like so: “‘Even now,’ declares the LORD, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.’ Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity” (Joel 2:12–13).

The word for “rend” in the original Hebrew means “to split, tear to pieces, rip, bust, separate abruptly or with violence.” To rend one’s garment was an ancient custom that signaled intense grief, repentance, or holy zeal.

When King David received the devastating, but exaggerated, news that Absalom had struck down all of David’s remaining sons, he rose, tore his clothes, and then lay down on the ground (2 Samuel 13:31; see also 2 Samuel 1:11). The Old Testament records Reuben, Jacob, Joshua, Caleb, Jephthah, Tamar, Ahab, Hezekiah, and others rending their garments in gestures of mourning and penitence (Genesis 37:29, 34; Joshua 7:6; Numbers 14:6; Judges 11:35; 2 Samuel 13:19; 1 Kings 21:27 Isaiah 37:1).

In the New Testament, the high priest tore his garment while accusing Jesus of blasphemy (Matthew 26:65). Paul and Barnabas tore their clothes in anguish when they realized the people of Lystra were preparing to honor them as deities (Acts 14:14–15).

More than rent clothing, God wants rent hearts. To “rend your heart” in repentance is to acknowledge your brokenness and need for God’s forgiveness and restoration. As we rend our hearts, we discover that “the LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed” (Psalm 34:18, NLT). When we’ve strayed from God, the sacrifice He desires is “a broken spirit,” for He “will not reject a broken and repentant heart” (Psalm 51:17, NLT). We pave the way for healing, wholeness, and a restored relationship with God when we rend our hearts before Him (Psalm 147:3; Isaiah 61:1).

In Joel’s day, the nation of Judah was guilty of putting on false displays of repentance. The people performed rituals of tearing their clothing without experiencing true, heart-crushing remorse for their sin, which would lead to a change in behavior and genuine devotion to God. Only a complete rending of the heart would turn the nation back to receive the compassionate, gracious, merciful, and steadfast love of the Lord.

Instead of saying “rend your heart,” the prophet Jeremiah applied the cutting analogy of circumcision to call God’s people to repentance: “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, circumcise your hearts, you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, or my wrath will flare up and burn like fire because of the evil you have done” (Jeremiah 4:4).

The idiom rend your heart expresses internal spiritual brokenness, which is vastly more important than any empty, hypocritical act of ripping apart one’s clothing. Rituals of repentance mean nothing if the heart is unchanged. External performances are not enough. For this reason, Jesus taught in the Beatitudes, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). Being poor in spirit means recognizing one’s broken spiritual state. We rend our hearts when we admit that we are utterly bankrupt and destitute before God. Without His forgiveness, cleansing, and restoration, we are undone.

Rending our hearts in repentance means wholehearted surrender to God: “Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord,” says Lamentations 2:19. “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me,” cried David after acknowledging his sin to the Lord (Psalm 51:10, ESV). “Woe is me, for I am undone!” confessed Isaiah upon seeing the Lord lifted high upon His throne. “I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5, NKJV).

When we rend our hearts before the Lord, God promises to forgive, cleanse, and restore us: “For I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home. . . . I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations. . . . You will be my people, and I will be your God. I will cleanse you of your filthy behavior” (Ezekiel 36:24–29, NLT).

20/02/2023

😍

Tuesday - 21 February 2023
"The Joy of Your Salvation”
Psalms 51:11‭-‬12

Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit.
Psalms 51:11‭-‬12 AMP

There was a time when King David asked God to restore to him the joy of his salvation. That time came after the incident recorded in 2 Samuel 11 of David committing adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of one of his loyal soldiers. The sordid story involves not only adultery but Bathsheba’s pregnancy, an attempted cover-up, and David’s eventual murder of Bathsheba’s husband. David then marries Bathsheba and believes that no one will ever know of his misdeeds. But the last part of verse 27 contains this ominous declaration: “But the thing David had done displeased the Lord.”

In 2 Samuel 12, the prophet Nathan confronts David with his sin, and David confesses (verse 14).

Psalm 51 is a song that David penned after this confrontation as noted in the title: “For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.”

Psalm 51 is a prayer of forgiveness and cleansing. Verses 1–9:

“Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
and justified when you judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom in that secret place.
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.”

Verses 10–12 are perhaps the most famous of Psalm 51:

“Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

In verse 11 David asks that the Holy Spirit not be removed from him. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit usually came upon a person to enable the performance of a certain task. If the Holy Spirit were removed from David, it would mean that he would be rejected by God as king in the same way that God had rejected Saul and removed His Spirit from him (1 Samuel 16:14).

Next, David asks God to restore the joy of his salvation. The time between David’s sin and Nathan’s confrontation was some months because the child had already been born. During that time, David suffered inner torment, as he describes in Psalm 32:3–4:

“When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night
your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.”

Despite all the steps David had taken to suppress the news of what he had done, he did not experience joy in the cover-up. However, once he confessed his sin to God, he received forgiveness, and his joy returned. Psalm 32 begins this way:

“Blessed is the one
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord does not count against them
and in whose spirit is no deceit.”

Psalm 32 ends with “Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!” (verse 11).

When David pleads with God to “restore to me the joy of your salvation,” he is asking that he would again have the fellowship with God that he once knew and enjoyed. David could not enjoy God’s fellowship while he had unconfessed sin.

We will not lose salvation—sin will not separate the believer from God—but it can rob us of the enjoyment of close fellowship with our Savior.

19/02/2023

😍

Monday - 20 February 2023
"Be wise as a serpent and gentle as a dove”
Matthew 10:16

“Listen carefully: I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be wise as serpents, and innocent as doves [have no self-serving agenda].
Matthew 10:16 AMP

As Jesus readied His twelve disciples to go out and minister, first He gave detailed guidelines for their early mission (Matthew 10:5–15), and then He prepared them for opposition and persecution: “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16, ESV).

Jesus knew that His messengers would encounter fierce resistance, so He immediately dismissed any idealistic notion of what it meant to be His servant. He told them that persecution and betrayal would come from unexpected places and all kinds of people, even family and friends (Matthew 10:21–22, 34–36). Jesus also knew that many would respond to the disciples’ message, so they had to go. To be as “sheep amidst the wolves” is the Lord’s fitting imagery portraying how we obey His call and take the message of salvation to receptive souls scattered amid a crowd of hostile challengers.

Reflecting the character of meek and gentle sheep, our message is one of love and compassion. Luke 10:3 uses the language of “lambs among wolves,” emphasizing the dedicated vulnerability that ought to exemplify Christ’s servants, messengers, missionaries, and evangelists. We are to go out clothed with grace, mercy, kindness, and humility—“innocent as doves”—but also with wisdom, truth, and integrity—“wise as serpents.” We keep our attitude and actions pure and harmless and our eyes wide open, “alert and of sober mind” because our “enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

The future peaceful reality of sheep and wolves living together in harmony (Isaiah 11:6; 65:25) is not yet our reality. The apostle Paul testified to church leaders, “I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock” (Acts 20:29). To His disciple Timothy, Paul wrote, “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12).

Jesus desires that we be fully prepared to be hated and treated poorly just as He was (Matthew 10:25). Yet we can find comfort and encouragement in our struggles, knowing such ill-treatment is a sign of our close fellowship with Jesus (Acts 5:41; 2 Corinthians 11:16–33; 12:1–10; Philippians 3:10–11).

Sheep are defenseless animals. Unless they stay near their shepherd, these animals have no hope of surviving against a pack of wolves. Jesus, who is “the great Shepherd of the sheep” (Hebrews 13:20), assured His disciples repeatedly that He would care for His sheep, leading, guiding, protecting, and laying down His life for them (John 10:1–16, 26–30).

Even though we will face persecution in our mission to follow and obey Christ, He encourages us not to fear: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:28–31).

Matthew 10:16 was not the disciples’ first exhortation to expect persecution as servants of God’s kingdom. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:10–12). Honor in God’s kingdom is a blessing reserved for those who actively seek to advance His righteousness and serve the King.

Initially, the “wolves” in Jesus’ analogy included the Pharisees and Jewish religious teachers who violently persecuted the early church. But the caution to be like sheep amidst the wolves is relevant to believers in every age who must live as Christ’s ambassadors in a dark and unreceptive world. Without our Shepherd, we are defenseless and in danger. But with Jesus, we are promised protection and peace (John 14:27; 16:33; Psalm 3:5–6; Matthew 6:25–34; 11:28; Romans 8:28, 35–39).

18/02/2023

😍

Sunday - 19 February 2023
"GOD is my Strength”
Philippians 4:13

I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]
Philippians 4:13 AMP

Although he was incarcerated in a Roman prison when writing the epistle to the Philippians, Paul demonstrated the joy of the Lord was his strength, no matter what difficult circumstances he had to face. Whether rich or poor, a freeman or in prison, Paul had learned the sufficiency that only comes through Christ. He had discovered that true contentment is only gained from abiding in Him.

Like King David, this apostle was encompassed about by many enemies and had to experience some severe hardships, and yet he learned the secret of total dependence upon the Lord and had come to appreciate that the grace of the Lord Jesus is sufficient for every eventuality. He may have been incarcerated in a prison in Rome, but Paul was able to write in his epistle, "I can do all things through Christ, Who gives me His strength."

Despite being destitute, Paul was not discouraged, because He had discovered his sufficient strength was in Christ. He understood that he could live a triumphant Christian life, no matter what troubles assailed him - not because of his own human strength or charismatic character, but through the indwelling Spirit of Christ Who provides the strength and wisdom we need in every situation in life.

Paul had some amazing credentials to fall back on. If anyone had a mind to put confidence in the flesh, Paul was the man! He was circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin! Paul was a Hebrew of Hebrews! Before salvation he could boast that as to the Law, he was a Pharisee; as to zeal, he was a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, he was blameless! BUT he was a man who learned to put no confidence in his own flesh but to put ALL his confidence in Christ and Christ alone.

Jesus had warned us that without Him, we can do nothing and once Paul understood the deeper meaning of this, he boasted in his own weaknesses while rejoicing that through Christ he could do all things. Paul recognised that when we are positioned in Christ, abiding in Him, and remaining in fellowship with the Father, we are equipped for every eventuality of life - for when we are weak in ourselves we receive strength from the Lord and are empowered by His Spirit.

This apparent contradiction is couched in a glorious truth - a staggering truth from the Word of God. The works carried out in the flesh can achieve nothing. Human strength, a charismatic character, impressive qualifications, or noble birth, counts for nothing in God's economy. The deeds undertaken by 'the old man' (the old sin nature - our human ability), which we received from the first, 'terrestrial' creation, when we were born of Adam, can produce nothing of value, but wood, hay, and stubble.

The works of the spirit, however, are carried out through our new 'born-again nature'. The old life in Adam, which was part of the first creation was crucified on the Cross at Calvary. But the 'new life in Christ' is imparted to all God's children, making us part of a new 'spiritual' creation, through Christ Jesus our Lord. We can do nothing of our old fallen, sinful self, and yet we discover that we can do all things through the power of Christ that flows into us, and through us, and out of us to others.

Every common task to which we place our shoulder and each Christian duty to which we are called, can only be successfully discharged as we rely on the Lord Jesus Christ for guidance and strength. We are to live and work and be strong in the LORD, and in the power of His might - not in the strength and power of our own, fleshly, human abilities.

We are to be strengthened in the 'inner man,' through the power of the indwelling Spirit of God. This is not a one-time strengthening, but a moment by moment reliance upon Him, until we are increasingly able to act upon His guidance, as we learn to listen to His voice saying, "this is the way - walk in it."

It is not by my strength or by my own power or wisdom that I can do all things - but through Christ, Who gives me His strength. Like the apostle Paul... without HIM I can do nothing but I can do all things through Christ, "Not by might nor by power - but by My Spirit says the Lord."

Purpose Filled Life Ministries

22/12/2025

08/03/2023

28/02/2023

26/02/2023

24/02/2023

22/02/2023

21/02/2023

20/02/2023

19/02/2023

18/02/2023

Address

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share

Category