So I, the prisoner for the
Lord, appeal to you to live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been
called [that is, to live a life that exhibits godly character, moral courage,
personal integrity, and mature behavior—a life that expresses gratitude to God
for your salvation], 2 with all humility
[forsaking self-righteousness], and gentleness [maintaining self-control], with
patience, bearing with one another in [unselfish] love[1].
Ephesians 4:1-2
This blog has been writings and studies of my
pen. Doyle and I studied together for
years and I have put those studies on paper with my pen. With age, and
some more than others, memories begin to fade.
My precious Doyle is slowly entering that stage of life. I assure you the meaning of scripture is
still alive in him. He may not remember
the verse or quote it accurately, but the meaning is alive in him. Now I would
like to introduce to you my loving husband, Doyle. The next two weeks are from his pen. My love deepens each day for him and his
sweet, spiritual nature that covets God’s Word. I share with you a devotional he gave to
Crown Financial Ministry many years ago.
Doyle’s thoughts.
“A few years back Charlsey and I were putting
together our thoughts for The Lenten Season, I had been considering what Jesus
had prayed, in John 17:22 “And the glory
which you gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one.”
I realized that Jesus was praying this for all believers. One of the first
sermons our Pastor at the time had presented to us was on this [Scriptural] prayer.
I asked him to repeat to me the description he stated for glory. He stated, “Visible Splendor.”
“At times since then, I have seen glimpses of “Visible Splendor” in the faces of those
in church. It is most visible on the faces of those who are really into God’s Word
(especially my wife, Charlsey). I believe we experience this splendor from the
choir as they deliver an unusually beautiful song. I do not know your thoughts,
but to me, there is splendor in a sermon well delivered, which brings worship
for our Lord.”
“Please explore with me this thought. How can you
and I experience the glory Jesus has given us through the Father so that we may
be one with Him as He is one with the Father? Humility! If any prayer is ever answered would not Jesus' prayer for us be answered?Please hear as I read from Andrew Murray’s
book “Humility.”[2]
“We speak
of the Holiness movement in our times, and praise God for it. We hear a great
deal about seekers after holiness and professors of holiness, of holiness
teaching and holiness meetings. The blessed truths of holiness in Christ, and
holiness by faith, are being emphasized as never before. The great test of
whether the holiness we profess to seek or to attain is truth and life will be
whether it produces an increasing humility
in us”. “ (The End)
Because of our humanness and imperfection, it
is difficult (not impossible) for us to totally humble ourselves. “Self” gets in the way. Yet without humility, do we lean to the
impossible when we do not humble ourselves? This is the one thing needed to
allow God’s holiness to dwell in us and shine through us…. His “Visible Splendor”
…… The Glory of God!!
The problems and savagery of the world would end,
if we would each release self and live Ephesians 4:1-2 in total humility.
[1] Ephesians
4:2 The
key to understanding this and other statements about love is to know that this
love (the Greek word agape) is not so much a matter of emotion as
it is of doing things for the benefit of another person, that is, having an
unselfish concern for another and a willingness to seek the best for another.
[2] Howard Dayton, Co-founder of Crown
Financial Ministries and Founder of Compass – finances God’s way, encouraged
the reading of Andrew Murray’s book “Humility.”
Howard Dayton is the epitome of humility.
