Passage of the Day: 1st John 1: 9 [see verse underlined and in bold] … 5 This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.6 If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin. 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
My Journal for Today: I believe that a pre-determined outcome of walking in the light of God’s Spirit, as we saw yesterday from 1st John 1: 7 (see above in contextual passage), is a God-driven need from the conviction of the Holy Spirit to confess our sinfulness and be fully cleansed by God’s promise and the power of His grace. Unfortunately, however, many mistake the conviction of the Holy Spirit with the clever twisted lies of our enemy, who would disguise God’s conviction as feelings of unworthiness or condemnation. And so, we pursue self-directed and temporary solutions of the flesh, such as drugs, pleasure, or other forms of self medication, which can never provide the healing and cleansing we might pursue from the light of Christ rather than from the fleshly pseudo-cures from the sinfulness found in the worldly or fleshly corners of darkness.
The Greek term of “confess” in today’s verse is “homologeo,” which means to come into agreement with some standard or source of power. In this case we’re talking about coming into agreement with God’s will or His way. In other words, fully surrendered Christians, when God’s light shines on our sin, … we are drawn, like a magnet, into a closeness with God’s revealed and righteous way. And in this process, which is really part of our sanctification, we are shepherded by God’s Spirit, as is clearly taught in Prov. 28: 13, into a restored state of blessing by God. That’s the outcome of 1st John 1: 9; and is that not worth the challenge of overlooking or “fleeing” (as God’s word declares) fleshly pursuits in lieu of healthy confession before God’s throne of grace?
This magnetic draw of being pulled into confession by the conviction of Gods’ indwelling Spirit is the genuine sorrow we feel as born-again Christians from our self-revealed sinfulness. And the outcome of the cleansing of Christ’s blood, when we surrender in confession to be in accord with God’s Spirit, is the heartbeat of true repentance (as in Acts 19: 18 or 1st Thes. 1: 9), which is a turning away from sin, no longer embracing it, but rather seeking to be closer to God and His will by walking away from the ways of the world, Satan, or the flesh. It is the “living sacrifice” and the process of a reformed heart/mind mentioned by Paul in Rom. 12: 1 – 2.
So, again we must ask ourselves. Do we want the eternal spiritual cleansing God offers in 1st John 1: 9; or would we prefer the temporary “fix” that our deceitful heart might get from the flesh? God has given us the choice.
My Prayer Today: I choose Your way, Lord; and I’m praying that others, who read my words here, would do the same! Amen
Showing posts with label grief over sin; repentance; God's power. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grief over sin; repentance; God's power. Show all posts
Friday, October 07, 2011
Saturday, October 01, 2011
October 1, 2011 … Man’s Biggest Problem
Blogger’s Note: Another month and another opportunity to go deeper into the knowledge of my Savior and Lord through His word. This month, again with the help of my devotional shepherd, Dr. John MacArthur, from his devotional book, Strength for Today, I will be delving into the nature of my sinful self, and I’m sure It’ll be like looking into the mirror of truth and learning how to deal with myself and seek my God, Who resides in me. So, if you come along with me, we’ll likely be getting closer and closer to our God. … Looking into a mirror can be painful at times; but it can be very revealing and health; and I’m sure it will be a very good thing for any who come with me!
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Passage of the Day: Romans 3: 23 [see underlined in bold] … 22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
My Journal for Today: This month, again with John MacArthur’s help, I will be looking at the topic every Christian should understand, and that is “sin.” I say the latter because sin is likely the only thing in this life to be feared by a Christian. In his devotional for this date from Strength for Today, MacArthur quotes an early Church leader, Crysotom, who wrote, “I fear nothing but sin.” Obviously, believing today’s highlighted passage/verse, we know that sin is pervasive in mankind, a force with which ALL Christians must deal. Therefore, understanding the dimensions of sin is of utmost importance to ALL believers. If you are reading this, I would assume that you might be as interested in learning more about how to avoid and deal with sin … as do I; so, let’s dive in and grow in Christ together.
First, we know that sin causes death, physical and spiritual death; and it leads to eternal separation from God. Therefore, follow the logic with me. If we, as Christians, pursue God; and sin separates us from God, … then would it not behoove all Christians to do all we can to avoid sin? However, as we will see, all our efforts are futile unless we surrender our ALL to the One Who atoned for our sin … Jesus Christ. I boldly maintain that the most prominent reason most Christians cannot or do not avoid sinful choices is their incomplete surrender to God’s Spirit, Who has saved them; and as we saw in my devotional study last month, it is God’s Spirit Who is fully willing – and most certainly able [see 2Cor. 12: 9] - to provide us with the grace we need to overcome sin,… if – and it’s an enormous IF – we humbly receive God’s enabling grace to do so.
MacArthur, in today’s devotional, scripturally defines sin with something that struck me to my core. He wrote, “Sin is the only thing that God hates (see Jer. 44: 4).” And MacArthur goes on to declare that since God hates sin so infinitely much, so should we hate sin, … those of us who call ourselves by His Name. Oh, I hate sin and my sinfulness! Do you? I’m going to assume that any Christian who reads this hates sin and anything in our lives which contributes to sin.
Maybe you don’t hate sin as much as you think you should? Well, join the club! This month, as I wrote above, I’m going to be exploring more of the dimensions of sin to determine just how deeply I understand the nature of its hold on me or any Christian. … I want to learn to hate sin so much that my choices will avoid the consequences of sin and draw me ever closer to God.
Are you with me in this? If so, come along with me daily; and we’ll do all we can, with the help of God’s word and John MacArthur, to more fully protect ourselves against our own sin nature. And in doing so, I’m sure we’ll all get closer to our God and farther away from our common enemy who’d love to see us choose to relent to our own sinfulness.
My Prayer Today: Lord, separate me from my own sinfulness and draw me closer to You. Amen
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Passage of the Day: Romans 3: 23 [see underlined in bold] … 22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
My Journal for Today: This month, again with John MacArthur’s help, I will be looking at the topic every Christian should understand, and that is “sin.” I say the latter because sin is likely the only thing in this life to be feared by a Christian. In his devotional for this date from Strength for Today, MacArthur quotes an early Church leader, Crysotom, who wrote, “I fear nothing but sin.” Obviously, believing today’s highlighted passage/verse, we know that sin is pervasive in mankind, a force with which ALL Christians must deal. Therefore, understanding the dimensions of sin is of utmost importance to ALL believers. If you are reading this, I would assume that you might be as interested in learning more about how to avoid and deal with sin … as do I; so, let’s dive in and grow in Christ together.
First, we know that sin causes death, physical and spiritual death; and it leads to eternal separation from God. Therefore, follow the logic with me. If we, as Christians, pursue God; and sin separates us from God, … then would it not behoove all Christians to do all we can to avoid sin? However, as we will see, all our efforts are futile unless we surrender our ALL to the One Who atoned for our sin … Jesus Christ. I boldly maintain that the most prominent reason most Christians cannot or do not avoid sinful choices is their incomplete surrender to God’s Spirit, Who has saved them; and as we saw in my devotional study last month, it is God’s Spirit Who is fully willing – and most certainly able [see 2Cor. 12: 9] - to provide us with the grace we need to overcome sin,… if – and it’s an enormous IF – we humbly receive God’s enabling grace to do so.
MacArthur, in today’s devotional, scripturally defines sin with something that struck me to my core. He wrote, “Sin is the only thing that God hates (see Jer. 44: 4).” And MacArthur goes on to declare that since God hates sin so infinitely much, so should we hate sin, … those of us who call ourselves by His Name. Oh, I hate sin and my sinfulness! Do you? I’m going to assume that any Christian who reads this hates sin and anything in our lives which contributes to sin.
Maybe you don’t hate sin as much as you think you should? Well, join the club! This month, as I wrote above, I’m going to be exploring more of the dimensions of sin to determine just how deeply I understand the nature of its hold on me or any Christian. … I want to learn to hate sin so much that my choices will avoid the consequences of sin and draw me ever closer to God.
Are you with me in this? If so, come along with me daily; and we’ll do all we can, with the help of God’s word and John MacArthur, to more fully protect ourselves against our own sin nature. And in doing so, I’m sure we’ll all get closer to our God and farther away from our common enemy who’d love to see us choose to relent to our own sinfulness.
My Prayer Today: Lord, separate me from my own sinfulness and draw me closer to You. Amen
Friday, June 18, 2010
2010 – June 18 – Destroyed by Lack of Knowledge
Study from God’s Word… Hosea, Chapters 5 - 9 … Passage for Reflection: Hosea 4: 5 – 9 … NIV 5 You stumble day and night, and the prophets stumble with you. So I will destroy your mother- 6 my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. "Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children. 7 The more the priests increased, the more they sinned against me; they exchanged their Glory for something disgraceful. 8 They feed on the sins of my people and relish their wickedness. 9 And it will be: Like people, like priests. I will punish both of them for their ways and repay them for their deeds.
My Journal for Today: These were chilling words [i.e., today’s highlighted passage] from God in Hosea’s day; and they are chillingly powerful – OR SHOULD BE - for today’s Christian leaders as well as those who follow them in their flocks. Please take a moment and meditate on those sentiments from God’s word to His people. What are they saying to you … to us in this generation of believers?
My friend, when I read this passage, especially knowing what I know from a similar stark warning from the Apostle Paul in Romans 1: 18 – 32 [linked here], I’m chilled to the core by the reality of where we are in the so-called “post-modern world” of today. When you read Chapters 5 – 9 of the Book of Hosea, I know that historically they chronicle the prophesies God, given to Hosea to level against the northern tribes of Israel in that day; but if you read them, as I have this morning, substituting the church in today’s post modern world for those peoples described as “Israel” or “Ephraim” in these chapters, you have to be stricken with some degree of concern – if not terror – for what God may have in store for a post-modern church which is prostituting itself by not preaching the truth and succumbing to worldly idolatry.
We cannot – or should not – point fingers. If we are Christian leaders we need to take heed to God’s word, even though He directed it to Israel almost 3000 years ago. We need to heed it as if it were directed to us; and we need to sound the alarm for God’s flock to repent, to return to God’s truth and His ways, and to follow those who are sounding the alarm of truth for the people to hear God’s warning. If we are – and we are – the flock of God, we need to be bolstered by the truth that God desires our repentance by praying our confession to Him, … by preaching the truth if we are in a position to do so, … and by partnering with other believers (and churches) to ring out God’s alarm for all to hear.
Fellow Christian followers, do you hear God calling to you, His flock, in the midst of a post-modern generation to stay close to the Good Shepherd, as we hear the roar of the lion (see 1st Peter 5: 8); and we, the lambs, need to take heart from the truth of Isaiah 41: 10 and 53: 6 where we hear the truth that repentance and restoration is found in following Christ Who will come to save and sanctify His people.
Fellow Christian leaders, do you hear the shofar calling from the wall of God’s city, where we, who have the responsibility as Pastors, Elders, or Overseers, are being called to shepherd God’s flock back to His truth so that they can hear His way and flock to the Good Shepherd rather than to run from the roar of the lion (again 1st Peter 5: 8) and be consumed. We have THE POWER on our side, but we are being misguided by the flesh rather than returning the truth. We are fleeing truth right into the mouths of waiting lionesses who know we frightened lambs will run from the roar of Satan’s worldly alpha-lion.
We need not fear and run; we need to repent and return to the promises and power of God from His word; but as the words from today’s devotional cry out, … My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge! And that’s why we, who know God, need to stay close to Him and to do all we can to be saturated in His truth and sharing it with all who might listen, learn, and – prayerfully in turn – lead.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, as a sheep in Your flock, keep me close to You, My Good Shepherd; and as Your sub-shepherd, give me Your power to sound the alarm and preach Your truth. Amen
My Journal for Today: These were chilling words [i.e., today’s highlighted passage] from God in Hosea’s day; and they are chillingly powerful – OR SHOULD BE - for today’s Christian leaders as well as those who follow them in their flocks. Please take a moment and meditate on those sentiments from God’s word to His people. What are they saying to you … to us in this generation of believers?
My friend, when I read this passage, especially knowing what I know from a similar stark warning from the Apostle Paul in Romans 1: 18 – 32 [linked here], I’m chilled to the core by the reality of where we are in the so-called “post-modern world” of today. When you read Chapters 5 – 9 of the Book of Hosea, I know that historically they chronicle the prophesies God, given to Hosea to level against the northern tribes of Israel in that day; but if you read them, as I have this morning, substituting the church in today’s post modern world for those peoples described as “Israel” or “Ephraim” in these chapters, you have to be stricken with some degree of concern – if not terror – for what God may have in store for a post-modern church which is prostituting itself by not preaching the truth and succumbing to worldly idolatry.
We cannot – or should not – point fingers. If we are Christian leaders we need to take heed to God’s word, even though He directed it to Israel almost 3000 years ago. We need to heed it as if it were directed to us; and we need to sound the alarm for God’s flock to repent, to return to God’s truth and His ways, and to follow those who are sounding the alarm of truth for the people to hear God’s warning. If we are – and we are – the flock of God, we need to be bolstered by the truth that God desires our repentance by praying our confession to Him, … by preaching the truth if we are in a position to do so, … and by partnering with other believers (and churches) to ring out God’s alarm for all to hear.
Fellow Christian followers, do you hear God calling to you, His flock, in the midst of a post-modern generation to stay close to the Good Shepherd, as we hear the roar of the lion (see 1st Peter 5: 8); and we, the lambs, need to take heart from the truth of Isaiah 41: 10 and 53: 6 where we hear the truth that repentance and restoration is found in following Christ Who will come to save and sanctify His people.
Fellow Christian leaders, do you hear the shofar calling from the wall of God’s city, where we, who have the responsibility as Pastors, Elders, or Overseers, are being called to shepherd God’s flock back to His truth so that they can hear His way and flock to the Good Shepherd rather than to run from the roar of the lion (again 1st Peter 5: 8) and be consumed. We have THE POWER on our side, but we are being misguided by the flesh rather than returning the truth. We are fleeing truth right into the mouths of waiting lionesses who know we frightened lambs will run from the roar of Satan’s worldly alpha-lion.
We need not fear and run; we need to repent and return to the promises and power of God from His word; but as the words from today’s devotional cry out, … My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge! And that’s why we, who know God, need to stay close to Him and to do all we can to be saturated in His truth and sharing it with all who might listen, learn, and – prayerfully in turn – lead.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, as a sheep in Your flock, keep me close to You, My Good Shepherd; and as Your sub-shepherd, give me Your power to sound the alarm and preach Your truth. Amen
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