Sep
16
2009
Salvation Is Of The Lord
My friend Scotty Smith has penned a prayer that I have made my own. I pray that you would make it your own as well.
In light of the trials I have been facing lately, I cannot think of a prayer that is more fitting, more comforting, more convicting. This prayer is a great reminder that in the end, those who believe that “salvation is of the Lord”–those who love and live the gospel–will be free. It is those who trust God even when they cannot trace him–-those who humbly leave all things up to him and who refuse to try and “save” themselves-–that will remain standing.
Gracious Father, today is a great day for me to be reminded that “salvation is of the Lord.”
You are the one who begins the “good work” of redemption in our lives; You are the one who is carrying it on, even when you’re not working according to my timetable and agenda; and You are the one who will bring redemption to completion on the Day Jesus returns to finish making all things new.
This is incredibly good news, as I ponder my own heart and the lives of other people I care about a whole lot. I cannot be my own savior, and neither can I be anyone else’s savior. What a relief, but also what a critical truth to remember. This grand affirmation leads me to offer these earnest supplications:
Father, give me the same confidence about your vigilance and faithfulness you gave Paul for the Philippians. Sometimes irritation, worry and fear loom larger in my life than patience, trust and hope. When this happens, I’m pretty worthless as a friend.
Father, teach me how to wrestle in confident prayer for others, like Epaphras wrestled in prayer for the believers in Colossae (Col. 4:12). My tendency is to wrangle emotionally rather than wrestle believingly. This leaves me worn out and it simply frustrates others.
Father, keep me tender enough to engage in my friends’ broken stories, but tough enough not to get entangled in “stuff” that has nothing to do with me.
Father, teach me how to wait on you without falling into self-protective passivity or self-validating activity.
Only the gospel is sufficient to help someone like me love others in such redemptive and healthy ways. So I abandon myself to you and your resources, Father, in light of the weight of grace and the Day of Christ.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
11 Comments
Pastor Tullian,
Thank you for sharing this beautiful prayer that has captured your heart (as well as mine!). I know that I do not speak alone when I say that your ‘pastoring’ this ‘one new church’ has been the greatest blessing my ‘walk with Christ’ has ever known.
You are faithful in your service and your sharing of ‘what helps to encourage you’ and ‘what would help to encourage your flock’. After all, isn’t that what ‘pastoring’ is all about?
God is using you to ‘supply that spiritual food’ to your congregation. We need this nourishment daily and just as God provided the ‘manna’ from heaven…your preaching, blogs, one-to-one conversations with us, nourishes our soul in ways that always glorify our Father in heaven. Thank you for faithfully serving as our ‘spiritual overseer’ and providing this ‘spiritual food’ to us.
As always, I am lifting up your family & Dr. T in prayer and rest in the confidence that our Lord will continue to do great works in you & continue to ‘nourish’ your dad back to health!
Blessings,
Laura
The implications of this prayer are huge. The potential within your struggle right now is enormous; life-changing, church-changing and culture-changing. God never shows up and says, “Now that was a surprise!”
You have been called to a “road less travelled.”
1 Peter 2:19-24 (New International Version)
19For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. 20But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
22″He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”[a] 23When 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. 24He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.
Pastor T, I agree with Laura. You are exactly what CRPC needs in this hour, in fact many churches are in need of ‘pastoring’! As Christ lived His life as an example for us to follow, that has been part of my prayer for you. That you would pastor and lead your flock, combined as it is, into ways of righteousness. I have not met you, but if you live anything close to what you write, then I have no doubt the our LORD will be glorified through your ministry! As a result, your flock will grow in grace and in the knowledge of the LORD. They too will live out Christlikeness and glorify the Father in heaven.
Thank you for standing firm as you grasp ahold of the Rock during these storms!
Craig Damanti
Easley, SC
Pastor Tullian,
What a great prayer and how your blog ministers to me. Our church is standing beside you in prayer! We were in your service on Labor Day visiting from Jacksonville, what a powerful message – what a sweet spirit. God be with you, your family and the Coral Ridge family as God guides and leads you past this Sunday and into an awesome future.
2 Corinthians 12:5 ESV …but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses.
2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Corinthians 12:10 ESV (10) For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
To taste “weaknesses” is one of the greatest blessings where we are intimately brought deeper into the heart of Jesus! On top of that, it is a needful blow in our soul against the god of America: ease & comfort above all!
You are in His Good Hands!
peace…
Tullian,
Prayers are with you. I have read an online article about the current rumblings down there at your congregation (I am in Maryland so you all are ‘down’ there). Remember our sovereign Lord. I pray you access His will and His discernment through these next days. May His grace flood the hearts and minds of Coral Ridge.
With that said (and I promise to pray my portion for you), whatever the dynamic is, may our Lord’s heart prevail. Let’s all remember to pray for our ‘enemies’ as led by Christ. Doing that, we should be able to pray for those who are hopefully not our enemies but are in disagreement with us.
You cannot fill the shoes of the one who went before you. Not the late, great D. James Kennedy. No, sir. I am talking about the Lord Jesus. He went ahead of you and said “it is finished” in all ways. Don’t worry about filling the Lord’s shoes – just follow Him. He is always with us.
On an interesting note, consider how the Lord is bringing the “unfashionable” message alive in you somehow. Stay the course. Your book “Unfashionable” is very good, so God continues to work something more…
Yours in the faith and in prayers to our sovereign God.
Matt
Tullian
I do not know you personally but our prayers are with you. I have been very encouraged by “Do I know God” and “Unfashionable” and use the booklet “Kingdom of God” to explain “Already” and “Not yet” of the Kingdom.
The enemy is out to wreck what God is doing, and division is a key weapon in his armoury. Jesus said, “It is finished”, and in the midst of various trials we grieve, but rejoice because our hope is in a living Saviour not a dead one (1 Peter 1:1-21). I pray for strength for you and your family and for a strong healthy church going forward.
James
As we sat in class last night, what came to mind was that great poem you shared with us a while back, and so I share it today…
My Orders by Ethelwyn Wetherad
My orders are to fight;
then if I bleed or fail,
or strongly win what matters it?
God only doth prevail.
The servant craveth naught
exzcept to serve with might.
I was not told to win or lose-
my orders are to fight.
Keep following orders… and God is the only one who will prevail.
Blessings…
Pastor,
Yes, and Amen
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Pastor
What I have learned is that in order to become like Jesus, we will experience some very uncomfortable circumstances, including and not limited to misunderstanding, miscommunication. etc.
When I think of Jesus in the Garden, and how his disciples could not even stay awake one hour. the lonliness Jesus felt. He would be completely alone were it not for our Father. Then when on the cross the loss of our Fathers presence as He took on our sins. We can only get a glimpse of what Jesus experienced. I thank God for that glimpse.
Paul