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Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.Galatians 5:16-17In the resurrection, you will have a spiritual body. That means your resurrected body will be fully responsive to the desires of your spirit. Think about how wonderful this will be. In this life, your spirit has two problems with your body.1. Your body is often unresponsive to your spirit: You intend good things, but somehow you don’t get there. Your spirit is willing, but your flesh is weak. We are often sluggish, sometimes drained. But in the resurrection, your body will be completely responsive to your spirit, and since your spirit will be made perfect, that union of desire and ability will be beautiful.2. Your body often tempts your spirit: Paul says that we must put to death the misdeeds of the body (Rom. 8:13). The reason we need to do this is that, in this life, the body is the gateway by which temptation comes to us. We all live with this struggle. It’s in the fabric of the Christian life, and that is why Paul says, “I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” (1 Cor. 9:27).We live the Christian life in this tension between the soul and the body. But when you receive the gift of the resurrection body, your war will be over. Your resurrected body will be as eager to do the will of God as your redeemed spirit. You will be at peace with yourself, in a way that was never fully possible before.In what ways have you experienced this tension between your spirit and your body?

So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.1 Corinthians 15:42-44Paul whets our appetite for the life to come with a fourfold description of the resurrection body.1. Your resurrection body will be imperishable (15:42)Jesus rose in “the power of an indestructible life” (Heb. 7:16), and your resurrection body, like His, will never die. It will never age, tire, or decline. You will never suffer illness or lose capacity. The wisdom of maturity will be combined with the strength of youth.2. Your resurrection body will be glorious (15:43)Moses was in the presence of God on Mount Sinai, and his face shone when he came down. There was a radiance about him. Jesus took Peter, James, and John up a mountain, and He was transfigured before them. They caught a glimpse of His future glory! There was a radiance about Him. And in the resurrection, there will be a radiance, a glory about you.3. Your resurrection body will be powerful (15:43)Donald MacLeod, in his book, A Faith to Live By, says the resurrection body will have “more energy... more stamina, more athleticism, more speed, more coordination, more durability.” That’s what lies ahead for you: a mind opened in new ways; a body made strong as never before.4. Your resurrection body will be spiritual (15:44)What is a spiritual body? Let’s start with what it is not. A spiritual body is not a body made of spirit. That would be a contradiction. If it was made of spirit, it would not be a body. A spiritual body will be a body that is fully responsive to the desires of your spirit.Which of these four descriptions are you most eager to enjoy in the resurrection life?

Not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars... So is it with the resurrection of the dead.1 Corinthians 15:39-42Paul makes two distinctions about our bodies in these verses—a distinction of kind and a distinction of glory.God has made more than one kind of body.God has made different bodies that are designed for living in different environments. For example, fish have bodies for life under water. Birds have bodies for life in the air. Animals have bodies for life on the ground. They all have bodies of flesh, but their flesh is of different kinds. God has given us bodies suited to our short lives in this world. They wear out over time, and God will give us bodies that are suited to eternal life in the world that is to come.God has made some bodies more glorious than others.God’s glory is reflected in all that He has made, but God has made some things more glorious than others. The sun is more glorious than the moon. Some stars are brighter than others. And Paul says, “So is it with the resurrection of the dead” (15:42). The bodies God will give us in the resurrection will be far more glorious than the bodies we have now.This is really important. The bodies we have now are the only ones we have ever known. So, it is natural for us to live with the sneaking suspicion that the bodies we will have in the resurrection will be something less, or that life beyond this world will be a shadow of what we enjoy now. Nothing could be further from the truth.Do you tend to think of your resurrection body as less or more?

Someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?”1 Corinthians 15:35It seems that the false teachers at Corinth were asking these questions cynically. That may be why Paul's first response is, “You foolish person!” (15:36). It’s not foolish to ask questions; it’s foolish to ridicule God’s truth (Gal. 6:7). But having rebuked the cynics for pouring scorn on the resurrection, Paul offers an answer.Q: “How are the dead raised?”A: “What you sow does not come to life unless it dies” (15:36).God said, “You are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Gen. 3:19). How could a body that has returned to the dust be raised again? Suppose you plant a sunflower seed in the ground. The seed disintegrates. It dies. But when the seed dies, a new life begins. Paul says, “Look at the world of seeds and plants, and you will see that this happens all the time.” For a person who is in Christ, death is how we get into the glorious new life God has promised.Q: “With what kind of body do they come?”A: “What you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel” (15:37).The life of the seed that disintegrates in the ground continues in the plant. But the two are very different. What comes out of the ground is not a giant seed. It is a sunflower, and it is far more beautiful than the seed from which it came. The sunflower is not the seed put back together. And the resurrection body is not the recomposing of the bodies we have now. “God gives… to each kind of seed its own body” (15:38). In the same way, God will give us new bodies that will be far more glorious than the ones we have right now.Do you think about the resurrection with more cynicism or wonder? What is your response to Paul’s analogy and explanation?

"If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep."1 Corinthians 15:19-20The theme of 1 Corinthians 15 is the glorious truth of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the resurrection life that all who believe will share with Him.If our hope is limited to what we can do or become in this world, we will be disappointed. But Jesus has risen to a glorious new life, and He is the firstfruits! A glorious new life lies ahead of all who belong to Him, and in this chapter, Paul is giving us a little glimpse of the resurrection life that we will share with Christ.Earlier in his letter, Paul said, “But, as it is written, ‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him’—these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit” (1 Cor. 2:9-10).God has prepared a resurrection life that every Christian will one day share with Jesus. But we are told here that no one has ever seen or heard of the things that God has prepared for us. In fact, no one has ever even imagined what God has prepared for us. So, no Christian should expect to read about the resurrection life and say, “Ah, I get it now. It’s all perfectly clear to me.”What Jesus has prepared for us is so great that it is beyond our capacity to grasp. We can’t take in the full brightness of the sun. But we can all see something of its brilliance and enjoy living in its heat and its light.Make it your prayer that you will see enough of the glory and joy of your future life to gain strength and anticipation as you press on in following and serving the Lord Jesus Christ.

If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."1 Corinthians 15:32As long as you feel that this life is all you have, you will feel that you have to hold on to it and preserve it for yourself. But if you truly come to believe in the resurrection, you will feel that you can spend your life, and if need be, lay down your life, in serving God by serving others. Who will be ready to endure hardship so that the gospel will be taken to the ends of the earth? Those who truly believe that there will be a resurrection. Who will see the wealth they acquire as a trust to be stewarded for the advance of the gospel and the good of others? Those who truly believe there will be a resurrection. Who will awaken from their stupor and quit sinning? Those who truly believe there will be a resurrection. Who will show grace and forgiveness? Who will pursue peace in this world of hostility and conflict? Those who truly believe that there will be a resurrection.Believing in the resurrection will shape how you live. Are you living in a way that is fitting for a person who believes in the resurrection? If someone were to examine your life; your priorities, your diary, and your bank accounts, would they conclude that you are living for this life only? Or would it be clear that you are preparing for life in the world to come?What would an examination of your life—your priorities, diary and bank accounts—say about what you are living for?

If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."1 Corinthians 15:32When you look at the good that has been done in this world over the centuries, you will find that a large part of it has been done by people who believe that they are preparing for a world to come—hospitals built, schools opened, children fostered.Believing in the resurrection will shape how you live. Here is a glimpse of how the apostle Paul lived: he was “in danger every hour” (15:30), and he “die[d] every day!” (15:31). Some people say, “Even if there was no heaven, Christianity would still be the best way to live.” But Paul would say, “No, not for me!”This man gave up a comfortable life to take the gospel to people who were often hostile and violent. He served people who were often ungrateful, unfaithful, and unresponsive. He stuck with it, facing days without food, nights without sleep, and constant exposure to danger. What in the world could motivate someone to live like this? The knowledge that our time here is short, and that God is preparing us for life in another world.If there is no resurrection, what did Paul gain by living such a life (15:32)? Paul is telling us, “I would not dream of living as I do if I was not wholly convinced that there will be a resurrection. The reason I live as I do is that Christ has been raised. And that means that I too will rise. An endless life in a world of joy lies ahead of me.”How is your belief in the resurrection shaping the way you live?

If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”1 Corinthians 15:32A faith for “this life only” sounds liberating, but it leads to indulgence.The words “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die”, are in quotation marks because Paul is quoting a popular proverb. This is what people were saying about life in this world, and the saying is so old that it was quoted by Isaiah in the Old Testament (Isa. 22:13). This is the wisdom of this world, as it has been through the ages. That’s why Paul goes on to say, “Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning” (1 Cor. 15:34).If people really believed that life in this world is all there is, you would think that they might focus their energy on doing all they could to make the world a better place. But, unfortunately, that is not the case. The reality is that when people come to believe that life in this world is all there is, they become increasingly self-indulgent.Yes, there are examples of secular people living sacrificial lives. But across the mass of humanity, it is surely an observable fact that when people come to believe that this life is all there is, they pour themselves into gaining as much of this world as they can. They pack in as many experiences as possible, and they pursue as many pleasures as they can find.And who can blame them? If this short life is all you’ve got, you had better hold on to all you have. If we “have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied” (15:19).Would you say that you are spending your life trying to hold on to all you have, or living sacrificially for the sake of others? What does this tell you about your hope?

Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father... For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.1 Corinthians 15:24-25Paul shows us that although a faith for “this life only” sounds relevant, it cannot deliver.Every generation wants to make the world a better place, and we can thank God for progress in medicine, science, technology, education, justice, and human rights. But there is also a profound sense in which the world never changes. Every human innovation brings new challenges. The evils of greed, violence, hatred, and corruption remain as deeply rooted as ever.We can thank God for every way in which these evils are held in check, but at no point have they ever been removed. No generation has been able to overcome them. So how will we ever get to a place where righteousness and peace will flourish?Paul has the answer: “Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet” (15:24-25).The focus is not on us and what we will do, but on Jesus and what He will do. Jesus will destroy every rule and authority and power. Jesus will deliver the kingdom to God the Father. Jesus will reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.Every generation has longed for a world of perfect justice, peace, and love. And no generation has been able to bring it about. But one Person can, and He will. Hope has a name, and His name is Jesus.Do you believe people have the potential to overcome the evils in this world, or can you see that our only hope is in Jesus’ final victory?

If Christ has not been raised... your faith is in vain... Your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.1 Corinthians 15:14, 17The resurrection matters, and believing in the resurrection will give you a new hope, a new confidence, and a new purpose. But a “this life only” message will leave you without hope for at least three reasons.1. Without the resurrection, your faith would be futile“If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile” (15: 17). Dead men can teach you through their writings, inspire you with their example, and help you through their wisdom. But a dead man cannot save you. So, if you’ve trusted your life and future to a dead man, your faith is futile.2. Without the resurrection, you would still be in your sins“If Christ has not been raised... you are still in your sins” (15:17). Christ was the Lamb of God whose unique calling was to take away the sins of the world by carrying them Himself. “The LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isa. 53:6). If Jesus had remained in the tomb, He would have been unsuccessful in removing our sins. They would still be on us.3. Without the resurrection, your believing loved ones would be lost“Those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished” (15:18). If death still holds Jesus, then death holds our believing loved ones too. And if Jesus was unsuccessful in taking away their sins, they died in their sins, and they would perish. Without the resurrection, there would be no hope for them, and no hope for us. All would perish.Thank God for the resurrection of Jesus and for this promise to all who believe in Him: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27–28).

Avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened.2 Timothy 2:16-18Some people would say, “This is just a different interpretation of Christianity, and it has some things to commend it.” But Paul says, “No. This teaching is like gangrene. If you embrace it, it will lead you into more and more ungodliness. It is toxic. You don’t want anything to do with it. You don’t want to go anywhere close to it.”So, Paul confronted the message of the false teachers. And what he says here is of vital importance because the same false teaching that troubled the early church is all around us today.The false teachers brought a “this life only” message. And Paul warns the church against this. “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied” (1 Cor. 15:19).Then he shows the hope that is ours through the resurrection of Jesus Christ: “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (15:20). Jesus rose from the dead, and because He rose, all who have faith in Him will one day rise too.If you have put your faith in Jesus, you have the most glorious future, and when you know that this future is yours, it will shape how you live.How might you respond to someone who believes in a “this life only” version of the gospel?

Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened.2 Timothy 2:17-18What was the message of the false teachers about the resurrection? Perhaps an analogy will help. The life of Martin Luther King Jr. was tragically cut short, but what he stood for continues through people who believe what he believed and teach what he taught.It may be that Hymenaeus and Philetus said something like this about Jesus: “The life of Jesus was tragically cut short. But what He stood for continues through people who believe what He believed and teach what He taught. His work is being carried on by His people.”“Yes, we believe that Jesus rose from the dead,” they would say. “And what this means is that His spirit lives on in His people. What matters is not that the tomb was empty, but that we do the kinds of things that Jesus did.”Their message was not so much about Jesus but about us. The power that would change the world, in their view, was not the power of the risen Lord, but the power of what we do as we follow the example of Jesus. You can see how this would gain traction:It sounds spiritual. “You don’t need to worry about the body,” they would say. “It is just a shell. What matters is your spirit—what you feel, what you want, what you choose to live for.”It sounds relevant. “The calling of the church,” they would say, “is not to prepare people for another world. It is to meet the needs of the world today.”It sounds liberating. If there is no resurrection to eternal life, we are accountable only to ourselves. That puts us in control and leaves us free to live and plan our lives as we think best.What is most attractive to you about this view of the resurrection? What is the biggest problem you can see with it?

If Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?1 Corinthians 15:12The central truth of 1 Corinthians 15 is that Jesus was raised from the dead, and we who receive and continue in the gospel will share in His resurrection life.But it seems that some at Corinth had denied this wonderful truth. That’s clear from verse 12: “How can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?” They denied that believers will rise from the dead and share a glorious new life with Christ.This was not unique to Corinth. There were false teachers in the early church who taught that the resurrection had already happened. Paul refers in 2 Timothy to “Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some” (2:17-18).If someone asked these teachers, “Don’t you believe that there will be a resurrection for us?” they would say, “Yes, of course we do. But the resurrection has already happened. If you are a believer, you have already risen to a new life in Christ.” And of course that is true. The problem was that they denied a future resurrection.If someone denies the future resurrection of believers, they have to reinterpret the resurrection of Jesus. And this is Paul’s point: “If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised” (1 Cor. 15:13).Do you believe in a future resurrection for all Christian believers?

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received…1 Corinthians 15:3Many of the Corinthian believers were standing and holding fast to the gospel. But some were abandoning the faith they once professed.The world is always inventing new words to describe old sins. One word you might be familiar with is the word deconstructing. We hear about people deconstructing their faith. They have concluded that the faith they once professed is merely a human construct—that it was put together by the apostles and the early church. They hold that it morphed over the centuries and now needs to be taken down like an old bridge that has become unsafe.Here is the warning from these verses: A deconstructed faith won’t redeem you from your past sins. A deconstructed faith won’t give you strength for your present calling. A deconstructed faith will not save you.Paul wants us to know that the gospel is not a human construct. It is something that he himself received from God: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received” (15:3). God has revealed it to the prophets and apostles, and you will be blessed, like Paul, if you receive it and continue in it.There is hope in Jesus for all who receive and continue in the gospel. God’s Word says, “We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end” (Heb. 3:14). Jesus Himself says, “The one who endures to the end will be saved” (Mat. 24:13).Have you been urged to “deconstruct” your faith? Hold onto Jesus’ promise that those who endure to the end will be saved.

The gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you.1 Corinthians 15:1-2Whether you are a newer Christian, a long-time Christian, or you are still exploring the faith, Paul has something to say to you today.1. Receive the Gospel“ The gospel I preached to you, which you received...” (15:1). Jesus offers grace for your past, present, and future. But you must receive this grace by believing the gospel. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ who died for our sins. Receive the grace He is offering you.2. Continue in the Gospel“The gospel... in which you stand... if you hold fast to the word” (15:1-2). Does receiving the gospel at some time mean that you will be saved regardless of what you believe or how you live afterwards? No! You know that you received the gospel if you are standing in it and holding fast to it. That’s what true believers do.3. Count on Being Saved by the Gospel“The gospel... by which you are being saved” (15:1-2). The promise of God to all who receive this gospel and continue in it, is that you will be saved by it. Paul speaks of salvation in the present tense: “You are being saved.” It is a continuing process. Jesus will give you strength to overcome your sins. He will save you from the condemnation sin brings. He will save you from the control sin exercises, and one day, He will save you from sin altogether.There is hope in Jesus because He died and rose, through the grace He brings, for all who receive and continue in the gospel.What is the greatest challenge for you today: To receive the gospel? To continue in it? Or to believe that you are being saved by it?

I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.1 Corinthians 15:10Where did Paul get the energy to do the work he was called to do? Paul tells us what he endured as an apostle. He was beaten, stoned, lashed, and shipwrecked. He lists days without food, nights without sleep, and exposure to danger and cold. And then he says, “There is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches” (2 Cor. 11:28).These are good verses to reach for when you are tempted to feel sorry for yourself. You read them and you wonder, Where did he get the staying power to keep going? And right here, he gives us the answer: I worked as I did because of “the grace of God that is with me” (1 Cor. 15:10). God’s presence with me and His kindness toward me kept me going.You may be facing an overwhelming challenge. God has given you a task that feels beyond you. You find yourself saying, “I don’t think I can do this.” Oh, yes you can! The grace of the risen Lord Jesus Christ is with you. His presence and power will sustain you, and He will enable you to do all that He has called you to do.What overwhelming task are you facing? Like Paul, commit to completing your work by the grace of God that is with you.

By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain.1 Corinthians 15:10When we think of what we were, we can use it as a lens through which to view what Jesus has done in our lives. Our sins, horrible as they were, are what He has redeemed us from. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ has brought a change in our lives. We are no longer the person we were.The answer to our shame and regrets from the past is more than, “It’s ok, because I’m forgiven.” The answer is to say, “By God’s grace I have changed. I am not the person I was. By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain.”Paul never claimed or thought he was all that God called him to be. Instead, he said, “I’m a long way from being perfect. But Jesus Christ has made me His own and I am pursuing the purpose for which He laid hold of me” (Phil. 3:10–13).By God’s grace you, too, will be able to say, “I am not what I should be. I am not what I want to be. I am not what I one day will be. But I am not what I used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am.”When you are troubled by past sins, use it as an opportunity to remind yourself of what the grace of God has done in you.

I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.1 Corinthians 15:9-10The word grace is used three times in these verses. This whole chapter is about how the grace of Jesus changes the future for all who believe. But Paul begins with the effect of grace on past sins.Paul tells us we have redemption from our past sins: “I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God” (15:9). People who walk most closely with God often struggle with things they regret. How do you live with things in the past that now make you deeply ashamed?The voice of conscience reminds you of things you wish you had never said, or things you wish you had never viewed. You sometimes wonder, How could I have been such a fool?Paul knew what this was like. He remembered that he had a foul mouth and a raging temper. He had committed violence against the people he now loved: “I persecuted the church of God” (Gal. 1:13). That was the reality Paul lived with. He never forgot it. How could he?Or perhaps your regret is not over what you did but what you failed to do. Paul tells us that the risen Christ appeared to him “last of all” (15:8). You may think, “If only I had come to faith in Christ sooner. If only I had exercised more faith. If only I had walked more closely with God.”Every thoughtful person knows what it is to live with regrets, shameful sins, missed opportunities, and wasted years.Where do you feel deep regret in your own life? How does Paul’s experience encourage you?

I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ... was raised on the third day.1 Corinthians 15:3-4Jesus dying for our sins would not have been good news if He had not been raised from the dead. If Jesus had not been raised, hope, for us, would have died and been buried with Him. But Christ was raised on the third day, and this is of “first importance.”The Bible records twelve occasions when the risen Lord appeared to His disciples, and Paul lists six of them here in 1 Corinthians 15.“He appeared to Cephas [Peter]” (15:5).He appeared... to the twelve” (15:5).“He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time” (15:6).“He appeared to James” (15:7).“He appeared... to all the apostles” (15:7).“Last of all... he appeared also to me” (15:8).Other people that Jesus appeared to, but who are not mentioned here in 1 Corinthians 15, include Mary Magdalene, two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and the apostles on multiple occasions.Hope is found not in something but in someone. Our hope is in Jesus who died and rose—not in an ethic, not in a more disciplined way of life, not even in a creed, but in a person, a saviour to whom you can come, a person in whom you will find hope.And, in this chapter, Paul talks about the hope that Jesus brings. There is hope in Jesus because He died and rose again.How does it strengthen your confidence in the resurrection knowing how many people encountered the risen Lord?

Christ died for our sins.1 Corinthians 15:3Here are five things God says about sin in the Bible.1. Our sins are offences against God. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). Sin is not an occasional lapse in standards we set for ourselves. It is our consistent falling short of the life to which God calls us.2. Our sins alienate us from God. “They are… alienated from the life of God” (Eph. 4:18). This is the reason why the default human experience is that God seems far away.3. Sin makes us antagonistic toward God. “The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law” (Rom. 8:7). The more a person sins, the more resentful and resistant toward God he or she will become.4. Sin makes us unfit for the presence of God. “Strive for… the holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). Sin will keep us out of heaven unless it is removed.5. Sin makes us liable to the judgement of God. “The wrath of God is revealed… against all ungodliness” (Rom. 1:18). Sin is not something in us that is “slightly off.” It is a complete breakdown in our relationship with God, to whom we must all give account.Sin’s consequences are catastrophic. And nothing in us can rectify the problem. This is why Jesus died for our sins. All that was due to us on account of our sins was laid on Him so that all that was due to Him on account of His perfect life should be freely given to us.Which of these 5 things have you, personally, experienced?

I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins... that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.1 Corinthians 15:3What Paul presents here, he says, is of “first importance” (15:3). Don’t lose sight of what matters most: “Christ died for our sins... he was buried... [and] he was raised on the third day” (15:3–4).Notice, when Paul talks about what matters most, one thing he includes is that “Christ died for our sins” (15:3). If this is of “first importance,” then that must mean our sins really matter.However, in our times, sin seems to matter very little. Millions of people have stopped believing in God and started believing in themselves. They have stopped believing in “original sin” and started believing in “inherent goodness.”Few would claim to be perfect, but most, it seems, now claim to be good. If people think about sin at all, it is as our occasional and understandable lapses in which we don’t live up to our own high standards. But why would Jesus need to die for the occasional lapses of fundamentally good people? That makes no sense at all.If anything ever becomes more interesting or more compelling to you than what Jesus accomplished in His death and resurrection, you can take it as a sure sign that your spiritual life is in trouble. “Here,” says the apostle, “is what matters most. Make sure it matters most to you.”On a scale from (1) most important, to (5) least important, how much would you say it matters to you that Jesus died for your sins?

Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.1 Corinthians 15:571 Corinthians 15 is a marvellous chapter, where the apostle Paul lays out the transforming power of the resurrection. This chapter is very practical and full of hope.Where do you find hope when your body is failing? Where do you find hope when your ministry is discouraging? You have been labouring for the Lord. You are faithful to the gospel, but there doesn’t seem to be much fruit, and sometimes you find yourself saying, Is this it?Where do you find hope when you are grieving the loss of a loved one? There’s an empty chair at the table. You look at her photograph, but you no longer hear her voice. She is gone, and you cannot get her back. You miss her.Failing bodies. Discouragement in ministry. A loved one we have lost. These are the realities of life, and all of them are directly addressed in this marvellous chapter that is full of hope.Here’s the message in a sentence: There is hope in Jesus because He died and rose and through the grace He brings, for all who receive and continue in the gospel.Where do you need hope today? Do you believe that you can find hope in Jesus?

But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge.Psalm 73:28Asaph began Psalm 73 saying, “Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart” (73:1). What does it mean to say that “God is good to Israel?” The ancient philosophers —Plato, Socrates, etc.—used to debate what was the highest good in life. They used an old Latin phrase —the summum bonum—which is the highest good. What is the highest good?Asaph says to us: “It is good to be near to God” (73:28). In other words, “I’ll tell you what the summum bonum is. For me, it is good to be near God. He opened my eyes in the sanctuary when I thought about the ultimate end of the wicked. Those who are far from Him will perish, but God is good to Israel because Israel has been brought near to God.”Asaph would say, “I see now that if everything in my life was as I wanted it to be, but I was far from God, I would be in a desperate position. If nothing in my life was as I wanted it to be, but I was near to God, then I would still be supremely blessed. For me, the summum bonum is to be near God.” There is nothing greater in all of life than this. That’s what Asaph learned.The blessing of the gospel is that Jesus came into the world and gave His life on the cross so that you could come near to God now and near to God for all eternity. “You who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Eph. 2:13).You get near to God through the blood of Jesus Christ. He is our peace. He came to preach peace to you who are far away and to those who are near.Why would you remain at a distance from God when you know that Jesus Christ has come to bring you near?.

I [will] tell of all your works.Psalm 73:28This shows how far Asaph has come. In verse 15, the best thing Asaph could do for God’s people was to keep his thoughts to himself: “If I had said, ‘I will speak thus,’ I would have betrayed… your children.”Now he has something to say, a story of God’s grace to share that will bring strength to other believers. Every Christian has a story of God’s grace. Your story is still being written. Every time you go through an Asaph experience another chapter is added. Every experience in your life can add to your testimony of God’s grace.Psalm 73 describes the worst time in Asaph’s life. Yet here we are 3,000 years later, feeding on the story of God’s grace to him, drawing strength and encouragement from his testimony. What God gives to you is also for the good of others. Your testimony to God’s grace contributes to the strength of the whole body.Paul says, “Death is at work in us, but life [is at work] in you” (2 Cor. 4:12). When you persevere through discouragement, it brings strength to other members of the body of Christ. Your testimony will be a means of God’s grace to other believers.Who could you share your story of God’s grace with?

I [will] tell of all your works.Psalm 73:28If you have been wounded by a version of Christianity that makes the gospel seem like an endless list of demands and expectations, you need to take in the grace of God from Psalm 73.Asaph wrote out his story under the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit and it has been preserved for our encouragement in the Scriptures. God has given us this psalm because Asaph is not the only one on this journey. When you go through an Asaph experience you may find it helpful to write out your story using the main points of Psalm 73 as a grid.My feet almost slipped because… Then write down your struggle. Write it as honestly as Asaph did. Write it out before the Lord.God taught me that… If you can’t fill this in yet, ask God to turn on the light in your mind. Keep coming to the place of worship. Keep reading God’s Word. Stay in the company of Christian people. Share what you have written with a friend. God will draw near, and He will help you.I have confessed… Write down what God has shown you about yourself. And when you confess, you also need to believe God’s promise of forgiveness and thank Him for it.I believe… Write what you know from the gospel. It will do your soul good. There are many things that you don’t know. Never allow what you don’t know to hold you back. Use what you do know to help you move forward.Take 10-15 minutes and write out your story so far.

Behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.Psalm 73:27-28Psalm 73 ends with Asaph making a clear commitment to live near to the Lord, and to tell his story of what God has done.Some folks think Christianity is about commitment. If you’re disciplined about your commitment, then you’re the real deal. Their focus is entirely on personal effort, discipline, and behaviour—doing certain things in the hope that it will make you a real Christian.It never works. Faith is never the fruit of commitment. It is always the gift of God (Eph. 2:8). Faith is a gift that comes down, not an effort that is worked up. How does the gift come to us?Asaph tells us that it was not the result of his own effort. “When I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task” (Psa. 73:16). “Faith was restored when I came into the sanctuary,” he says. “When I remembered God’s truth, He turned on the light for me.”“Salvation belongs to the Lord” (Jon. 2:9). God turns on the light in your mind so that you see your sin and confess your need. God brings you to faith and restores your soul. This is what David grasped in Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul” (23:1-3).If you are broken today, you need to know that the Lord will restore your soul. If your feet have almost slipped, you need to know that the Lord will hold you by your right hand.Are you pursuing Christian faith as though it were something to earn by your own effort or as something to receive from God as a gift?

There is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.Psalm 73:25Asaph is not saying that there are no other legitimate desires on earth. He is simply saying that, besides the Lord Himself, all other desires are secondary.This is the same thing the apostle Paul said: “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Phil. 3:8). Knowing Jesus is what really matters to Paul. This is the driving ambition of his life. He did not say, “I want to be a great preacher.” He didn’t say, “I want to see thousands converted.” Or “I want to plant ten churches.” These are all good desires, but even good desires can become idols.Let’s go back to the story of Tom and Mary and see how things are going on their wedding day. During the wedding ceremony, they look into each other’s eyes and take their vows:I, Tom, take you, Mary, to be my wife.To have and to hold, from this day forward.For better, for worse; for richer, for poorer;In sickness, and in health.Think about what they are saying. Tom is saying: “If being with you means I’m richer, then I’m with you. If being with you means I’m poorer, then I’m with you. What matters to me is not better/worse, richer/poorer, or sickness/health. What matters to me is you! Being with you is all I want. So, bring it on! I’m with you, come what may.”That’s how a real Christian feels about Jesus. That’s why the New Testament uses the picture of marriage to describe the relationship between Jesus and His people. We bond to Him for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health.Have you made a commitment like this to Jesus? If not, are you ready to commit yourself to Him, come what may?

Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.Psalm 73:25Imagine Tom and Mary, a young couple engaged and about to be married. The wedding is just five days away, and Tom takes Mary out for a candlelight dinner. “Five days to go,” Tom says, “I can hardly wait for Saturday to come.” Mary smiles as she looks into his eyes across the candles, “Tell me why you’re so excited about Saturday.”Now, all Tom has to say is, “Because on Saturday, I get to marry you!” But Tom’s a bit slow, and so he says, “Because my great uncle Jack is coming in from Boston. I haven’t seen him for years. And my university friends are all coming into town, and we’re all going out on Friday night. And the reception is in the ballroom at the Grand Hotel, and I just love the food at that place.” All these things may be wonderfully true, but by making them his focus, Tom has completely missed the point.If your life on earth is about people, pleasures, and possessions, that will probably be your idea of heaven as well. There is no room for Jesus in some people’s view of heaven, and that’s because there is no room for Him in their life on earth. But there is only one heaven, and Jesus Christ is at the centre of everything that goes on there.Surveys show that 43 percent of people in the UK believe in heaven. A good question to ask is: “Why would you want to go there?”How would you answer this question?

Whom have I in heaven but you?Psalm 73:25The first thing you need to know about heaven is that it is God-centred. When the Apostle John was given a vision of heaven, he saw that the Lamb of God (Jesus Christ) was at the centre (Rev. 5:6; 7:17). God wants you to know that He is the centre of all things in heaven, and that is why a person who lives wisely will make Him the centre of all things on earth.Who do you have in heaven? Some have a grandmother and a grandfather in heaven, whom they were very close to and look forward to seeing. Some have a pastor whose ministry shaped their life as a teenager but is now in heaven. Surely if that is the case for you, you would have loved to share your life with him. Perhaps you have a husband or wife in heaven. Some have a child in heaven. Sometimes you think about seeing them and wonder what that will be like. There are people in heaven, and one of our joys will be to see them again.There are also pleasures in heaven. “At your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psa. 16:11). We are not told much about these pleasures. Paul says that our minds cannot conceive what God has prepared for those who love him (1 Cor. 2:9). We would not be able to imagine it, even if God told us.There are possessions in heaven. Certain things will be given to you that you do not have now. Crowns! Rewards! Many songs have been written about the “things” that will be ours in heaven. It is surely significant that the Bible says very little about the people, the pleasures, and the possessions of heaven. The one thing that is unmistakably clear is that we will be in the presence of Jesus. Ultimately, heaven is to be with Christ.Have you made Jesus the centre of all things on earth for you?

When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you. Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.Psalm 73:21-26Notice how Asaph moves from the misery of preoccupation with himself to the joyful freedom of confident faith in God.Biblical faith is utterly God-centred. It’s not about some capacity for believing that may or may not lie within you. If faith was about our ability to trust, then some of us would have an advantage. Your ability to trust has to do with your past experiences. So, if faith is about our ability to trust, some of us would find that easy, while others would find it very hard.But Christian faith is not about your ability to trust. It is about the trustworthiness of God. There is a God in heaven who can be trusted, no matter who else has let you down. Your faith will grow as you get your eyes off yourself and onto Him. That’s what happened to Asaph when he came into the sanctuary.Do you need to get your eyes off yourself and onto God? Ask God to help you.

When I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task.Psalm 73:16In the first half of Psalm 73 (verses 1-14), Asaph was completely absorbed with himself. “Why are things going wrong in my life? Why is God blessing other people more than me? What’s the point in pursuing a godly life?”Asaph was convinced that his problem was with God. He thought his biggest problem was the unhappiness he was experiencing. But when he came into the presence of God, Asaph saw that the real problem was himself: “My heart was grieved. My spirit bitter. I was brutish and ignorant. I was a beast before you” (73:21-22).Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, “Self is… our most constant enemy. It is the most prolific cause of all our unhappiness.” What’s the biggest cause of your unhappiness right now? Lloyd-Jones continues: “As a result of the fall of Adam we are self-centred. We are sensitive about ourselves. We are always selfish, always protecting ourselves, always ready to imagine offences, always ready to say we have been wronged and dealt with unfairly.”Lloyd-Jones says, “I am speaking from experience. May God have mercy on us. It is the truth about us all.” If self is the problem, how can we be delivered from ourselves? The answer is that God can deliver us from self. Asaph came to realise that, and we must do the same.Do you think your primary problem today is with God? If so, why?

Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand.Psalm 73:23What would you expect the outcome of Asaph’s confession to be? “My spirit was bitter, my heart ruled my head, and I was acting on impulse… Therefore, I am a total failure”? Or “Therefore, God has no place for me”?No! Look at the outcome of Asaph’s confession: “Nevertheless, I am continually with you” (73:23). True confession never leads to despair. It always opens the door of hope.My soul was bitter, my heart ruled my head, and I was acting on impulse, nevertheless I am continually with you! We often think about the Lord walking with us on our path. But a better way to think about the Christian life is that you are walking with Christ on His path. “Despite everything that has happened, and all the junk that has been going on in my life, I’m still here, Lord. And the reason I’m still here is that You hold me by my right hand.”Asaph says that his feet almost slipped. Why didn’t they slip? God held him up! Asaph was drowning in confusion until he came to the sanctuary. Why did he come to the sanctuary? God brought him there.If sustaining the Christian life depended on us, we would have given up long ago. But thank God we can say with Asaph: “You hold my right hand, and that, Lord, is why I am here in your presence today.”The presence of God is the one place where you need have no fear of being exposed. This God knows the worst about you already. While we were still sinners Christ died for us.Will you test God in this? Bring your worst sins before Him today and see if His grace isn’t sufficient for you.

When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you.Psalm 73:21-22“My soul was bitter. My heart ruled my head. I was acting on impulse.” This is a serious confession of sin.Asaph’s confession goes beyond anything that he said or did. It uncovers the hidden movements of his heart.There really is an appropriate sense of shame here. “My spirit was bitter. I let my heart rule my head. And You saw the chaos that followed. I was acting on impulse, and You saw what I did, Lord. You saw me acting on impulse when I went to that website. You heard me speaking on impulse at that breakfast. I was sinning against you.”This is not a man who needs counselling. This is a man who needs cleansing. He needs to bring out the dirt of his inner life in the presence of God. He needs to confess.If God gives you an awareness of your own sin today, it is a sure sign that He is at work in your life. He is turning you around so that you can move in a new direction. You are never closer to Jesus than when you are most aware of your own sin.Are you ready to find cleansing from your sin? Bring out the dirt of your inner life in the presence of God in prayer.

I was like a beast toward you.Psalm 73:22The point about the beast is that animals act on impulse.One of the great gifts God has given to men and women is the gift of reason, logic, reflection, and analysis. This gift was not given to the animals. Animals act on impulse.Asaph says, “That’s what I was doing! When my heart was grieved, I was being pushed around by the impulses of bitterness, unbelief, and despair. No wonder my feet almost slipped!”We are living in a culture where people love the idea of acting on impulse: “If it feels good—do it!” If you listen to radio or television shows where people call in with their problems, you will hear one theme over and over again—“Listen to your heart. Follow your heart.”The assumption behind this advice seems to be that your heart is a reliable indicator of what is right. The problem with this is that it completely ignores the doctrine of sin.The problem with following one’s heart is that there are too many impulses within the heart that would lead us into sin if we followed them—impulses to pride, greed, self-justification, and a whole lot of other things too. Following your heart is a dangerous business.The impulses of the heart will always be mixed, even in godly men and women. Sometimes your instincts will be enlightened by the Holy Spirit, and sometimes your instincts will be guided by the flesh. That is why we have to submit the impulses of our hearts to the Word of God. And when we do, we find that we need to fight our impulses as much as follow them.Are you fighting your impulses or simply following them? Can you think of one example of each from this last week?

I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you.Psalm 73:22“Ignorant” is a word that describes the mind, so Asaph was saying, “When my heart was grieved, everything I knew and believed about God seemed to fly out of the window.” In other words, Asaph was talking to his friends in gloomy terms, as if there was no God, no help, no hope, and no future. He was senseless and ignorant. His heart ruled his head.Maybe you have seen the film Home Alone. It’s the story of a young boy who is accidentally left at home while the rest of his family goes on a Christmas holiday. He defends the house from burglars by pouring tar in the basement, swinging pots of paint from the staircase, pulling shelves off the wall, and smashing Christmas tree decorations on the floor. It is complete chaos.Letting your heart rule your head is like letting children run your home. The children bring life and joy to the home. It wouldn’t be the wonderful place that it is if they weren’t there. But if you let children take over, it won’t be long until there is chaos!Your heart is like the child. Your head is like the parent. The heart brings you great joy. But it is the head that brings order to your life. When the heart is grieved, it comes to the head and says, “I’d like to run things for a while.” If the head says, “That’s fine,” and hands over control of the house, it won’t be long before chaos reigns.This is what happened to Asaph. His heart was grieved, and he allowed his heart to rule his head. He allowed his emotions to take over. No wonder chaos reigned in his life.Does your life seem chaotic? Are you letting your heart rule your head?

When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart…Psalm 73:21These verses open up what was going on in Asaph’s heart before he came to the sanctuary. These things were hidden from Asaph himself. He didn’t understand what was going on. But when God met with him, the light went on. He saw clearly and so he was able to make this confession.There are particular sins to which you may be especially prone when you are grieved, upset, or disappointed. When things don’t go your way, the sins of Asaph are crouching at your door. Notice the sins Asaph confesses here, so that you can be on your guard against them, especially at times when your heart is grieved.It may be that “my soul was embittered” and “I was pricked in heart” are two ways of saying the same thing. That is often the pattern in Hebrew poetry. But you can have a pricked heart without a bitter soul. So it seems that the first sin Asaph confesses here is a bitter soul. There were things in Asaph’s life that made no sense, and he became bitter toward God. He also became bitter toward other people as he saw how God was blessing them.It’s easy to become bitter when your heart is grieved. It can happen far more easily and far more quickly than you might think, and Asaph’s confession reminds us that this can happen to the most godly person. “I was bitter,” he says. “There was a souring of my spirit. I didn’t see that before, but I see it now, and Lord, I need to confess this to you.”Do you see any traces of a bitter spirit in your own life?

When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant.Psalm 73:21-22Confession has always had a central place in Christian worship. Catholics confessed their sins to a priest. Protestants confessed their sinfulness to God. But it seems that confessing our sins is disappearing from worship altogether.We celebrate God, and we celebrate ourselves, but if we do not confess our sins, we will not change. A Christianity that neglects confession of sin is not New Testament Christianity. The point of the gospel is that it changes a person. It doesn’t leave you as you were. That’s why Paul says to Christian believers, “Examine yourselves… Test yourselves” (2 Cor. 13:5). And it was Socrates who said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” He was right.This is what Asaph did. When Asaph’s mind was straightened out by the truth, he was able to see what had been going on in his soul, and that led him to make this confession to God. Confession is not a sign of dysfunction in the Christian life. It is a sign of health. When the light goes on, you begin to see yourself more clearly, not less.Do you want to grow and change? Ask the Lord to help you see yourself more clearly, so that confession becomes a more regular part of your walk with God.

I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you.Psalm 73:22This is a godly man’s confession of sin, and confession is a normal part of a healthy Christian life. The Apostle John says: “If we confess our sins, he [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).If you cannot see anything in your life that you might appropriately confess as sin to God, then you are deceived: “If we say we have not sinned, we make him [God] a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:10). You are simply not seeing clearly. You are not in touch with reality.But how exactly we are to confess our sins has been a matter of debate in church history. Maybe you were taught to confess your sins to a priest. There may be some value in that, but there is no place in the Bible where God says that you must confess your sins to a priest.John Calvin, a wise pastor in the sixteenth century, said that we are to confess our sins to God, but that confessing a particular sin to another person could be helpful, especially if having confessed it to God, you were still struggling to find peace in your heart about it. In that situation you can go to a pastor and tell him, or you can go to any other mature Christian and tell them.God has made every Christian believer a priest: “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever” (Rev. 1:5-6). That means you can go to any priest, including the one sitting next to you at church.Are you struggling to find peace over a particular sin?

When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you.Psalm 73:21-22This is Asaph confessing his sins to God. He is admitting to things that are wrong in his life. As soon as Asaph gets his thinking straight, he begins to pray.Prayer flows out where truth flows in. We hear the truth every Sunday as we listen to the Word of God preached, and we read the truth every time we open the Bible. One way to measure your grasp of the truth is to take a look at your prayer life.It is possible to affirm your church’s statement of faith, but then to have very little confidence that God is able to help you in what you are facing now. It is possible to believe 'We are all sinners,' but then to have very little awareness of sin in your own life. That’s where Asaph was. But God met him in the sanctuary, and the evidence of it is in the way he prayed afterwards.This psalm is brutally honest. It is the kind of honesty that leads to a changed life. "When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you" (73:21-22).This is a confession of sin from a godly man.Reflect on your prayer life. Are you failing to apply your faith to the things you are facing now? When was the last time you were brutally honest with God about yourself and about your sins?

I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you.Psalm 73:22Asaph’s story tells us how God brought this man through a crisis of faith by taking him through a number of turns.The first thing Asaph discovered was that he needed to STOP. “If I had gone where my thoughts were leading me at that time, I would have let everybody down” (see Psa. 73:15). He made a decision to stop. He refused to follow where his discouraged mind was leading him. The first step to turning your life around is not finding an answer but making a decision.The second thing Asaph had to do was to THINK. Asaph says, “When I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end” (73:16-17). I went to the sanctuary. I remembered God’s truth. I met with God’s people. And I considered the ultimate outcome of the wicked and the righteous. That turned me around. It gave me a whole new perspective.God straightens out our confused thinking as we worship Him, remember His truth, meet with His people, and consider the ultimate outcome of life.The next step was for Asaph to CONFESS. “I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you” (73:22). Our friend, Asaph, was confessing to his own foolishness. He was admitting to God the things that were wrong in his life.Think about the steps that God led Asaph through in order to turn him around and put him on the right path again. If you are struggling through a crisis yourself, can you identify where you think you might be in these steps?

My feet had almost stumbled.Psalm 73:2Asaph was a godly man. He was a spiritual leader. This is the kind of man we would all look up to with great respect.Asaph didn’t just read the Scriptures, he was chosen to write some of the Scriptures under the direct inspiration of the Spirit of God. Perhaps there is not a deeper experience of the Spirit than that. This was a man who walked with God.But in Psalm 73, Asaph tells us that there was a time in his life when he almost lost it: “I looked at what was happening in the world, and I could make no sense of it. I looked at what was happening in my life, and that made no sense either. I could no longer see the point in pursuing a godly life. I almost gave up!”All of us go through times like this. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been a Christian, or how mature you are in your faith. Circumstances will arise in your life that will take you by surprise.Suddenly you may find yourself where Asaph was, struggling with thoughts you never imagined you would be thinking. Maybe you have been plunged into an Asaph experience this week.The good news is that God knows how to bring you through an Asaph experience. That’s why we have Psalm 73. Asaph tells us how God brought him through the crisis.Have you been plunged into an Asaph experience? If so, aren’t you glad that God knows how to bring you through it?

Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.Psalm 73:20Asaph uses a second picture here, waking up from a dream, to show us what he discovered in the sanctuary about the ultimate outcome of the wicked.Imagine a beggar who has a dream. And in his dream, he wins fifty million pounds in the lottery! He dreams about the home he will buy and the car he will drive. He dreams about the motorboats and motorcycles he will have in his expansive garage. In his dream, he sees himself flying first class, cruising the Caribbean, and enjoying fine dining. But then he wakes up and realises that it was only a dream. He is still a beggar.This is the destiny of the wicked. Thinking that they have everything, they wake up only to find that they have nothing. The outcome for the wicked is that one day they will fall over and be ruined. They will wake up and be disappointed.That’s what Asaph saw when he came into the sanctuary. He remembered God’s truth and he met with God’s people, and it changed his whole perspective. If that’s the end of the wicked, why in all the world was I envying them?Is there an ungodly person you are tempted to envy? Talk with the Lord now about why you might not want to trade places with him or her.

Surely you set them in slippery places.Psalm 73:18When Asaph came to worship, he remembered God’s truth, and he met with God’s people. That was where God straightened out this man’s thinking. Remember, Asaph’s problem began when he wondered why the wicked prosper (73:3).So how did God straighten out Asaph’s thinking? He reminded Asaph of the ultimate outcome of the wicked. Here Asaph uses the picture of walking on ice to describe their end: “Surely you set them in slippery places” (73:18).How has God set the wicked on slippery ground? The answer is: by prospering them. Prosperity is a great blessing, but it is also slippery ground. The problem is that prosperity often makes a person blind to reality.Money can make a man think that he is something special. It makes him feel secure. That’s a very slippery place. Remember Jesus’ words about the man who acquired great wealth, built big barns, and had all kinds of plans for his own future? God said, “Fool! This night your soul is required of you” (Luke 12:20).If prosperity is a slippery place for the wicked, it will be a slippery place for the righteous too.If God has given you money, you should be thankful. You should also be careful. It’s like walking on ice. Pride can easily come in, and pride comes before a fall (Prov. 16:18).That’s why Paul says to Timothy: “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (1 Tim. 6:17).Do you think God intends to warn you or encourage you by this today?

When I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God.Psalm 73:16-17You see what Asaph is saying: “Here I am struggling with my problems. But my questions and struggles are part of something much bigger.”It’s a great thing to have personal faith, but behind your faith there is the faith. Behind your little struggle to believe, there stands a great company of men and women through the ages who have faced the same questions and the same struggles, and God has brought them through. That’s what Asaph saw when he went into the sanctuary.This is one of the great blessings of being part of the body of Christ, the church, which has been around for 2,000 years. There is nothing in your life that God’s people have not faced before.There are no questions in your mind that have not been asked before. People have lived and died on God’s promises for more than two millennia! “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful” (1 Cor. 10:13).You never know what ministry you may have to others simply by the fact that you have endured so much and you didn’t give up. Don’t underestimate the importance of staying the course. You are showing the rest of us what it means to persevere.The encouragement of God’s people is one of the means that God uses to strengthen us when we feel like giving up. That’s why you should never withdraw from God’s people when you are discouraged.Is there a member of your church who has encouraged you in recent days? What if you chose to go to church, in the middle of your struggles, for the benefit of others?

When I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task.Psalm 73:16Asaph was saying, “When I looked at the problems in my life and at the problems in the world, I kept asking, “Why is this happening?” My mind went around and around, trying to figure it all out, but I couldn’t. It was oppressive to me. I couldn’t stop thinking about it!It is a terrible thing when your mind is confused. The second step in Asaph’s recovery was to straighten out the confused thinking that had reigned in his mind.Now how does this happen? Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones points out that some Christians have one simple answer for everything: “Just pray about it.” But it’s not easy to pray when your mind is confused. If you can’t think straight, you can’t pray either.So, what can you do when you aren’t able to think straight or pray? Asaph tells us: “When I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God.”Asaph lived at the time of David. The sanctuary was the place of worship. The temple wasn’t built until later, during the time of Solomon. The sanctuary was where David had placed the ark of the covenant. The ark was a large wooden box that was carried on poles, and by the time of David, it was nearly five hundred years old.The ark’s significance was that it was the place where God had said He would meet with His people. Now the ark was kept behind a curtain, so when Asaph went into the sanctuary, he couldn’t see it, but he knew it was there. The ark behind the curtain was God’s way of teaching us that even though we cannot see Him, He is with us.Have you stopped meeting regularly with the people of God? Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Matthew 18:20)

I would have betrayed… your children.Psalm 73:15Asaph knew that if he were to give up, he would betray God’s children, and that stopped him in his tracks. Now, there is more to climbing out of a black hole than that, but this is where it begins—with a decision, a commitment: Lord, I will not betray your children.On the night when He was betrayed, John tells us that Jesus prayed. He was about to endure the agony of the cross. But the focus of His prayer was on His disciples and what God would do in their lives. Jesus said, “For their sake I consecrate myself” (John 17:19). To consecrate yourself means to give yourself to some special purpose or calling. In this case, Jesus’ calling was to endure the cross. Nobody wants to endure a cross. But Jesus said, “I’ll do it for them.”If you are dealing with a crisis today, your crisis is bigger than yourself. You belong to the body of Christ, and you are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses—men, women, children, and angels too. If you are a Christian, you bear His name. God has called you to run a race that has been marked out for you. So, take up your cross and follow Him.Asaph lived a long time before Jesus, but this was exactly what he did. He looked back on his life and he said, There was a time when I almost gave up. I couldn’t make sense of what God was doing in the world or in my life. If I’d followed the inclinations of my heart, I would have given up. But I’m so glad I didn’t. I’m here to tell you that God turned me around and brought me through. It started when I made the decision not to betray the Lord or His children.Who are some of the people in your life that you’re willing to endure a crisis for? How would those people be impacted if you chose to give up?

If I had said, “I will speak thus,” I would have betrayed… your children.Psalm 73:15You would think that the turning point of his life would begin when he gets some answers. But that’s not Asaph’s story.Asaph wants us to know that the first step to turning our lives around is not finding an answer but making a decision. His mind is driving down this dark road of despair, so he makes a decision. “I am not going any further down this road. I will not go where these despairing thoughts are leading me.” This is where Asaph’s turn begins.We say, “Give me an answer!” But God says, “Give me a commitment.” We say, “I need to understand.” But God says, “I want you to follow.”When Jesus went to the garden of Gethsemane, He was struggling with what God the Father was doing. He wanted to know if there was a way to avoid the suffering of the cross. “If it is possible, let this cup be taken from me.” Jesus went into the garden with a question: “Can this cup be taken away?” But He came out of the garden with a decision: “Your will be done.”Maybe you are facing a crisis in your life right now. You’re confused. If you follow the thoughts that are running in your mind, you will break up your marriage. If you follow the inclinations of your heart, you will no longer be useful in ministry. Don’t go there! Make a decision to stop that way of thinking. Make a decision to stop that way of acting.You want to turn your life around, but you’ve been waiting for an answer from God. Will you take the first step today, by making a decision?

If I had said, ‘I will speak thus,’ I would have betrayed… your children.Psalm 73:15Asaph was saying, “If I had followed where my confused thoughts were taking me, I would have let everybody down. I would have become the Judas of the Old Testament. I would have betrayed your children.” Asaph doesn’t want to go there, and so he takes himself in hand.Imagine spending a few days away, and the place where you are staying is off the main road. So you arrive in the evening, and it is pitch dark. You know how this goes:“Isn’t it up there on the right?” “No, I think this is it. Turn here.” “I’m pretty sure it’s a little bit further.”Well, now you are a mile down the road, and it’s become clear that there are no more places to turn around. Then somebody says, “You know, I think it was back there.”“Yes, I know. I’m just looking for a place to turn around.” But the road is narrow, and with no houses or driveways, it’s pretty hard to do.There are some situations in life when turning around isn’t easy. You’ve been looking for a nice opening where you can swing your life around, but you can’t find one. That’s how it was for Asaph. “My feet had almost slipped,” he says. He needed to turn his life around.Think of a time when you had to stop the direction you were heading spiritually and turn around. What made it so hard for you to do?

All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence.Psalm 73:13Maybe you have coworkers who have very little integrity, and yet they seem to be thriving. You, on the other hand, have tried to do business in a way that honours the Lord, but instead of thriving, you are facing all kinds of trouble. It leaves you saying, “What’s the point?!?”One of your coworkers, who was fooling around with someone in the office, just got a promotion. But you were faithful to your spouse, and now you lost your job. It leaves you wondering, “Lord, did you bless the wrong person?”This was Asaph’s problem, and he tells us honestly, “My feet had almost slipped. I was nearly gone. I almost gave up.” If a godly man like Asaph could be tempted like that, we shouldn’t be surprised when it happens to us.Peter tells us that Christian believers have an enemy—Satan, who is like a roaring lion, prowling around looking to see who he can devour (1 Pet. 5:8). The more useful you are to Christ, the more the enemy will want to devour you. That’s what was happening here. Satan wanted to spoil Asaph’s testimony, end his ministry, and destroy him.There will be times of special testing in your life, and your future usefulness to Christ will depend in large measure on how you handle yourself when they come. The apostle Paul said, “Take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm” (Eph. 6:13). That’s what Asaph did, and God brought him through.Have you ever felt like giving up on your pursuit of a godly life?

I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.Psalm 73:3You can hear Asaph’s distress in his words, “I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” The wicked act as if no one can touch them, and God does nothing about it. But here I am trying to serve the Lord in ministry, and all I see is the agenda of those who hate God and despise His Word moving forward. Why does God allow it? It makes no sense to me.You can understand Asaph’s problem. Can you make sense of the way God rules the world? Asaph couldn’t, but the real problem lay deeper. Asaph couldn’t make sense of what God was doing in his own life. “All the day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning” (73:14). He poured out all this frustration about how God rules the world, but the real problem is that things were going wrong in his own life.Remember that this is the confession of a godly man. Asaph is in full-time ministry. He is a spiritual leader. Other people look to him for leadership. This man has been reading his Bible and saying his prayers. He tithes his money. He has poured great energy into pursuing a holy life. He has made sacrifices for the advance of God’s kingdom.But sometimes, underneath the bigger questions that we have about the world, there are deeper, more personal questions about what God is doing in our lives. You ask, “Why do the wicked prosper?” But the real question is: “Why hasn’t God prospered me?” You ask, “Why does God allow suffering?” But the real question is: “Why is there so much pain in my life?” You ask, “Does God really control the universe?” But the real question is: “Why is my life falling apart?”Are you struggling to make sense of what God is doing in your life?