Reminiscent of the Passover lamb in Israel, Jesus was a greater sacrifice, enabling God to justify mankind from its sins. John the Baptist said on one occasion as he saw Jesus, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

Christ gave Himself up for the church in order that “he might sanctify her.” The whole plan by which Christ was able to have a “set apart” people depended on His dying for those people. The Messiah had to die for our atonement (Isaiah 53:4–6).

The church in Philippi had begun in unusual circumstances, and they had been a great encouragement to Paul. The salutation of his letter to them (Philippians 1:1) is a good snapshot of what a local congregation was in the days of the New Testament.

Let’s consider the fascinating group which Paul addressed as “the church of God that is in Corinth.” Together, the two letters that we have from Paul to Corinth take up more pages in the New Testament than we have from him to any other congregation.

Christ’s resurrection proves that God can be counted on to help us. His power will guard and keep us until our hope is finally realized. So when discouragement hits us (as it surely will), one thing is to be recalled: the resurrection of Christ.

What if you become a Christian? In America, as Christians become a shrinking segment of the population and our views become despised by the mainstream culture, it is likely that you will be mocked and demeaned, even if you are not physically harmed.

We must want what is good with all of our hearts. Like our Lord who “for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross,” we must be moved primarily by joy and hope. The prospect of one day seeing God’s face must be the main part of our strength.

Just as surely as any work of art ever revealed the heart of the artist, God’s creative work tells us that He is a God of love. A world like the one we live in could not have been made by a God who did not take delight in beauty and joy.

Let us not trifle with our responsibilities, but let us also not forget the manifold goodnesses of God that have made us want to accept those responsibilities. When the final tally is made, our labor will matter little if it was not a labor of love.

Honesty about our yearnings and our guilt is not easy. But the good news is that it leads to an appreciation of grace in which God can save us. Hope can only be ours when we admit that our hearts will never be completely healed in this world.

The very worst disadvantage of the cluttered life is that being at peace and growing in our relationship with God become almost impossible. Perhaps there are a few who could manage such a juggling act, but not many of us can do so.

Both the ability to look backward and to look forward have the potential for great harm if they are not managed wisely. We can only do with the present moment what God would want us to do if we hold to a productive view of the past and the future.

Though the way of escape will always be provided, it has to be taken before it will do us any good. The Lord’s protection and help are not automatic or involuntary — they have to be appropriated by a free-will choice to say “No!” to sin.

Even in terms of our short-term spiritual growth, we need to make more specific plans than we sometimes do. If all we have is a vague, unspecific desire to make progress, we won’t move ahead much. We have to commit ourselves to some specific goals.

A. W. Tozer wrote, “Strange as it may be, the holiest souls who have ever lived have earned the reputation for being pessimistic.” Have you ever considered that spiritual growth might require you to start being more pessimistic about some things?

Joseph was thankful that his brothers had sold him into Egyptian slavery. Such “useful” things are obviously harder to attribute to God and to give Him thanks for. But Paul said, “In everything, give thanks,” and I believe he meant just what he said.

Sometimes, the best way God can teach us that we need His help is by letting us do without it for a while. After that, we’re in a better position to be grateful for the help when it does come. And it surely will come, when God sees the time is right.

Those who can see only what is happening at the present moment are prone to depression. We must develop our vision to look outside of ourselves and our private discouragements. If we have the eyes to see, there are wonderful things to hope for.