Bad news yet forgiveness…

Thus says the Lord: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Pay attention to the sound of the trumpet!’ But they said, ‘We will not pay attention.’ Therefore hear, O nations, and know, O congregation, what will happen to them. Hear, O earth; behold, I am bringing disaster upon this people, the fruit of their devices, because they have not paid attention to my words; and as for my law, they have rejected it. What use to me is frankincense that comes from Sheba, or sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices pleasing to me. Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will lay before this people stumbling blocks against which they shall stumble; fathers and sons together, neighbor and friend shall perish.’ ” Thus says the Lord: “Behold, a people is coming from the north country, a great nation is stirring from the farthest parts of the earth. They lay hold on bow and javelin; they are cruel and have no mercy; the sound of them is like the roaring sea; they ride on horses, set in array as a man for battle, against you, O daughter of Zion!” (Jeremiah 6:16–23)

Is God still like this? Maybe a better question: are people still like this? Last night I was restless and decided to watch a cop show that I usually don’t watch. It was about a woman who worked for a risqué dating service and discovered (for a friend who also worked for that service) the real name of a client who abused her friend. Before she could tell her friend who it was, she was murdered. Eventually the police found out who he was and the other crimes he was guilty of and arrested him. He was a pastor. 

I couldn’t sleep. This was too much, yet this passage from an OT prophet made me wonder if those who consider themselves God's people can be as guilty of hypocrisy as those on fictional television. Do any ‘saints’ refuse to live that way when no one is looking? God knows, and He knows what to do about it.

And now, because you have done all these things, declares the Lord, and when I spoke to you persistently you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer, therefore. . . . I will cast you out of my sight, as I cast out all your kinsmen. . . . As for you, do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with me, for I will not hear you. (They) make cakes for the queen of heaven. And they pour out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke me to anger. Is it I whom they provoke? declares the Lord. Is it not themselves, to their own shame? Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, my anger and my wrath will be poured out on this place, upon man and beast, upon the trees of the field and the fruit of the ground; it will burn and not be quenched.” (Jeremiah 7:13–20)

What does the NT say about all this? It tells of a man similar to the one on the TV show. Paul wrote: “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.” (1 Corinthians 5:1–2) So the guilty one was to be put out rather than instantly pardoned, but after a time, Paul wrote this:

Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything. Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs. (2 Corinthians 2:5–11)

Lord, I assume the man repented. I also assume this should be the way I respond to others whose sin marked them as ungodly hypocrites — genuine repentance is vital (1 John 1:9) because that is the way back to You, Jesus. People might fool other people but they cannot fool You. And to be like You, I must be as quick to forgive as I am angry over sin.

His strength is perfected in our weakness:

Egypt’s help is worthless and empty; therefore I have called her “Rahab who sits still.” And now, go, write it before them on a tablet and inscribe it in a book, that it may be for the time to come as a witness forever. For they are a rebellious people, lying children, children unwilling to hear the instruction of the Lord; who say to the seers, “Do not see,” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions, leave the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.” Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel, “Because you despise this word and trust in oppression and perverseness and rely on them, therefore this iniquity shall be to you like a breach in a high wall, bulging out and about to collapse, whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant; and its breaking is like that of a potter’s vessel that is smashed so ruthlessly that among its fragments not a shard is found with which to take fire from the hearth, or to dip up water out of the cistern.” For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” But you were unwilling, and you said, “No! We will flee upon horses”; therefore you shall flee away; and, “We will ride upon swift steeds”; therefore your pursuers shall be swift. A thousand shall flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you shall flee, till you are left like a flagstaff on the top of a mountain, like a signal on a hill. Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. 

Egypt represents my old life of bondage, and like the grass seems greener there, the people of God can be lured into thinking that living that way is better than living for the Lord. It may be easier, but not better. When I drift into a fleshy way, God truly exalts Himself by showing mercy to me. My task ought to be:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

He convicts me of my error, forgives when I confess, and cleans up my thinking and actions. He uses even my sins in His redemptive process. The above passage adds more wonders such as:

For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. 

As I get rid of sin and all idols, He blesses my productivity, binds up my brokenness and heals the  wounds inflicted by His blows. He gives me songs in the night, and I can hear His voice with a glad heart even as my spiritual enemies hear His fury. (Isaiah 30:7–31:3)

Jesus, I am so aware that relying on the way I thought and lived before You rescued me brings sorrow. Trusting my ways and not consulting You is foolish. You are wise and work against all who do evil. That old life is mere human without the power of the Holy Spirit and in it I stumble and suffer loss. Keep me always in Your will. Fill me each day with Your mercy and grace that I will live as You lead me and enable me to rejoice in You.

Free to choose — BUT…

Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. And I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more. Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’ ” David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child who is born to you shall die.” (2 Samuel 12:7–14)

Every choice I’ve made, including every sin, has consequences. Obedience to God generally results in good things, for that is His intention. He tells me what to do that will bless my life.

However, if my choice comes from “I know better” or “I want something different” the results can vary greatly. If I confess the sin, God forgives…

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

But confession and forgiveness may not change the consequences of what I said or did. David’s confession did not bring Uriah back to life, nor did it keep the baby from dying. Yet unlike Saul, God did not removed David from the throne because of his disobedience.

The NT promises that those who put their faith in Jesus Christ have a guaranteed eternal hope. I may lose rewards but not the everlasting life. It is a gift of grace based on what Jesus has done, not on what I have done or failed to do.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8–9)
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)

Why then the consequences? For me, they show me why obedience is important, wake me up to the importance of God's will, and teach me that I am not as wise as I thought I was. 

And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:5–11)

Jesus, consequences are seldom easy, but they are not a punishment as much as they are a classroom and a tool to teach me humility and lead me into deeper faith. In them I see Your great determination to transform my life but also they reveal Your awesome holiness.

Abiding is related to being unable…

Piper’s devotion for today is a list of resolutions that he wrote for teenage children to help them determine to honor their parents. I chuckled a bit as I read them. Would teens have as much trouble keeping resolutions as adults too? They reminded me of the Laws of God written for His OT believers. They vowed to do everything God said, but wound up unable to keep them.

The NT says this about those laws: “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” (Romans 3:28) and the book of Galatians explains  that those laws cannot save but they do have a good purpose. They show both sinners and saints where we fall short, and how much we need to live by faith and be enabled by the Spirit of God. Without abiding in Christ, as Jesus says in John 15, we can do nothing.

So what is the point of resolutions? Good intentions? Do they not reveal the human inability to keep them? How slow I am to learn that my determination to obey God is not enough to make it happen. I need Him to be the governing force, the motivator who prompts me and works out that obedience.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12–13)

So if God is working in me to want His will and do His commands, why then the next lines?

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. (Philippians 2:14–16)

Certainly any grumbling or disputing is contrary to those prior words about pleasing God. They show me what does not do it, and therefore I cannot say complaining and arguing are obedience. I can resolve to do God's will, but if it does not fit the descriptions of His will, then I know I need to confess my sin and be forgiven and cleansed (1 John 1:9). I cannot excuse any of those negatives by thinking my mean-spirited manner is one way to tell the truth and use that as a claim that I’m obedient. 

The NT laws work the same way; they reveal selfish and fleshy attitudes and the sinfulness of my old nature. Confession is needed, but also being filled with the Spirit. God will fill me — as long as I’m empty. But herein is the rub; no one likes feeling empty and unable.

Those teens may want to do all the resolutions, but part of being a Christian is learning that I cannot do God's will apart from being yielding to Him because I’ve realized that I cannot obey just because I want to. He supplies the power only when I’ve admitted my lack of it. He calls me the light of the world and not to hide it, yet displaying it has a caveat: 

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)

I don’t take credit, or boast — I must obey in such a way that He gets the glory!

PRAY: Lord, just learning to give You glory is a challenging lesson, yet even more challenging is learning to live Your way so others do not put me on a pedestal. You must get the glory. I stopped making resolutions a long time ago, but I still desire to obey You and know I cannot do it without abiding in You. 

Let God change my mind…

Reading this morning, I’m reminded how quickly the God-blessed understanding He gives to His followers can turns into a self-centered attitude motivated by Satan and rebuked by the voice of the Lord. Main example: Jesus asked His disciples...

“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:13–19)

God revealed the identity of Jesus to Peter and when he said it, Jesus told Peter that this was  were foundational to the establishment of the church and key to answered prayer. Recognizing the deity of Jesus Christ is vital, but it also makes targets of those who believe it. Peter was Spirit-filled and obedient, but after that, he yielded to sinful thinking: 

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” (Matthew 16:21–23)

This incident seems shocking until I think of a few examples, some observed and some from my own quickly changing loyalties to Jesus. I can say certain sins are behind me and no longer an issue, but stray off in a dream or imagination myself back into that sin. I can pledge forgiveness to others who have hurt me, then find myself thinking of ways to get even or verbally complaining about what they did. I can vow that prayer is vitally important yet be distracted by my to-do list or some other lesser matter and forget to pray. 

Key to much of this is a mindset. Jesus told Peter his mind was set on the things of man, in this case the idea that good people should not suffer, or that Jesus’ purpose was to conquer the world rather than die for our sins. 

The NT says much about mindset:

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:5–8)
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. (Colossians 3:2)
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15–17)
It also says: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:1–2)

I could blame my lapses on ADHD, or like others say, “I’m only human” but those are only excuses. God tells me to be in His Word and let Him continually renew my mind rather than letting it, or the world, or the devil govern my thinking.

PRAY: Lord, I know this is important. Also, I know that confessing each lapse into fleshy thinking means forgiveness AND cleansing (1 John 1:9). Excuses do not move me into a godly mindset. Only Your Holy Spirit can do that, for which I am humbly and totally thankful. Enable me to guard my heart today and every day. Amen.


 

A Vital Truth

 

After years of reading through the Bible and the past two years of reading Stephen Charnock’s incredible book on the attributes of God, I’m noticing one spiritual truth that seldom is preached or taught. I’m also noticing that out of that omission comes many misguided notions about God and about ourselves and our responses (or not) to His Word.

What seems to be absent is clarity on the meaning and application of this passage:

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, 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. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. (Galatians 5:13–26, italics mine)

This is not a new teaching. The prophets spoke to God’s OT saints about their inability to please God because they were not filled with the Spirit, and were instead walking in the flesh.

I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps. (Jeremiah 10:23)
For I solemnly warned your fathers when I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, warning them persistently, even to this day, saying, Obey my voice. Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but everyone walked in the stubbornness of his evil heart. Therefore I brought upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did not.” (Jeremiah 11:7–8)
But if you will not listen, my soul will weep in secret for your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly and run down with tears, because the Lord’s flock has been taken captive. (Jeremiah 13:17)

This distinction is connected to the “rules” in the NT that are intended to show the difference made when walking in the Spirit or not. One application concerns prayer:

You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (James 4:3–4)

God also told His people that they were set free from bondage in Egypt, but He had to give them “rules” because they were not living like they should. Isaiah defines sin as simply doing our own thing rather than obeying God. 

The NT picks up on that. We are set free from sin when we are born-again, then told to be Spirit-filled so we can obey Him. However, far too many do not realize how that works, or that  fleshy activity is really doing our own thing. It is only when selfish living deepens into grossly  immoral or illegal action that we call it sin, but seldom is “I will do it myself” called sin like it was called in the OT. For that reason, the NT is also filled with “rules” about how to live as a person set free from sin… we should know what it means to walk in the Spirit or at least know when we are not and confess it (see 1 John 1:9).

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

The biblical truth that I should do all things for God and His glory. This includes giving thanks rooted in the excellency of the Giver rather than merely for His good gifts. If gratitude is more about answered prayer and personal comforts and desires, it is likely disguised idolatry. This is one example only. If the fruit of the Spirit is absent, something needs to be confessed.

PRAY: God grant me a heart to delight in You for who You are — so all my gratitude for Your gifts, all my decisions, words, actions and motivations are for Your glory — and I will not twist any of it to make myself the focus and dismiss or forget Your excellence. Amen.  

Practicing what I preach

 

Yesterday the Lord provided circumstances for me to put my morning’s devotional thoughts into practice. The quilter’s group in the community arranged a monthly sew day and it happened yesterday. For some reason, my old nature didn’t want to go. It was 7 hours, had to pack up a lot of heavy stuff to work on, I had other things to do, blah, blah, blah.

I prayed about it, understanding that all my negatives were not from God and with a great deal of them pounding at me, went anyway. I refused to let those ideas and I-wants rule. I like to sew, but didn’t want to do it all day. I like the people in the group, but small talk is hard for me. Again, blah, blah, blah. But I prayed again.

As soon as I walked into the sewing room, the Lord took over. My attitude became positive. The I-wants fell away. Any sinful possibilities like being competitive or critical, simply didn’t happen or enter my head. It was a wonderful day with some Christian fellowship, much love shared, and open conversations that drew us closer together. 

The big value in this experience is always asking for the Holy Spirit to help me, fill me, give me what He wants and boot out of my heart and mind all that is of the world, the flesh, and the devil. This trio of enemies try to make me shun what God wants and miss the joy that goes with His will and His goodness.

And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. (Ezekiel 36:27)
O Lord, you will ordain peace for us, for you have indeed done for us all our works. O Lord our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us, but your name alone we bring to remembrance. They are dead, they will not live; they are shades, they will not arise; to that end you have visited them with destruction and wiped out all remembrance of them. (Isaiah 26:12–14)

While He tells me what to do, such as. . . .  

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. (Colossians 3:2)
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8)

. . . . and if I am obedient to do this also. . . .  

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

. . . . He makes an incredible difference so that I am able to think right, say words that bless others, hear words that bless me, and do things that are kind and helpful. It just happens.

And after years of failing, falling, practicing, and knowing Jesus more deeply, I’m now wishing I could have more decades to do what I’ve been told rather than just hearing it, even agreeing with it, but not realizing the wonder of it through personal experience.

PRAY: What can I say to You except thank You for Your incredible patience and persistence with this stubborn child. 

Slow down and wait

When reading the Bible verses that tell me to wait on the Lord, I tend to think that I’ve a need and am waiting for the answer to a prayer request, or that I want something to happen and am waiting on God for it. Those thoughts are much like standing in line waiting to get to the object of the lineup, or even like the child on a journey that is saying, “Are we there yet?”

Today’s thoughts are prompted by one verse that says, “My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.” (Psalm 130:6) My first thought was like a child waiting for supper to be ready or a shopper waiting for the store to open, that kind of waiting. However, God reminds me to look at the context. The psalmist has a specific in mind that I was not considering…

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities. (Psalm 130:1–8)

If read as an entire prayer, this Bible writer is asking for mercy. He remembers that no one could stand before God without His forgiveness and seems to be asking for that. He desires it so he will be done with his own sinful ways, just like a watchman waits for his night shift to be over so he can return home. He knows that forgiveness comes, just as a watchman knows that morning is not far away and the darkness of night will not last forever. He encourages readers to hope in the Lord because He loves them and because with Him there is an abundance of redemption, enough for all the sin of all the people.

In other words, this writer is telling me that when I confess my sin, wait on the Lord for the forgiveness and cleansing He will give:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

Don’t take sin, even the confession of sin, lightly. Wait until He does as He promises and I have that awareness of forgiveness and know that the sin I confessed is wiped from my record. Don’t quickly or lightly say the words then jump back into ‘life as usual’ but give thought about the wonder of this gospel, the wonder of a merciful and forgiving God for those who trust Him. Live out the gospel rather than rush back to ‘normal.’

PRAY: Jesus, far too often life in the fast lane. How many times have I said “oops” to You and then too quickly gone back into that lane without thinking about Your love and the size of Your heart, about the redemption made possible at the cross. That in itself seems sinful as well. May I never take for granted that without You I would only be a watchman waiting in the dark with no hope for the light of walking with You or being filled with the truth of Your love and mercy. 

 

There is value in forgetting

 

The wife of a family member described his dementia: “He clearly remembers seventy years ago but cannot remember five minutes ago.” Of course this results in communication problems and frustration for both of them.

I just read a long description of how God brings “dry bones” to life again. This prophetic vision is recorded in Ezekiel and has various interpretations. After the assurance of new life, the prophet describes God’s hatred of sin and the judgment it merits. The writer says “we almost cringe at the thought of our own faults and the memory of our failings. But then we read God’s summary, in the last paragraph. There, nestled in verses that express the compassion God will show when judgment is past”…

They shall forget their shame and all the treachery they have practiced against me, when they dwell securely in their land with none to make them afraid. (Ezekiel 39:26)

This author goes on to say: “What a wonderful promise! Yes, we’re weak. We stumble, and sometimes fall. And then what a burden of shame and guilt we bear. But God promises that when we see Him, when we truly ‘know that I am the LORD’ and no shred of memory of our sins will remain to mar our joy.”

I thought of the memories of dementia, usually good experiences and shared without complaint. But I also wonder if some of them are coming to mind because they involve sin that was neglected to confess and God is giving His people a second chance to clear the slate and have those sins cleared out of memory. Those who read these posts know how much I value this verse to spiritual growth and well-being:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

I’ve noted that dementia involves the frustration of being unable to do things that once were easy. Many who suffer from memory loss are angry and often lash out blaming others for their problems instead of taking personal responsibility for their own behavior. One author writes about how the Holy Spirit, indwelling dementia sufferers who are Christian or not, is able to speak to their sin and enable change, It’s encouraging to realize that even with severe memory loss, our lives can change. 

Could it be that those who only remembering the past are experiencing a gracious gift from the Lord? Would this help them deal with sinful attitudes that were pushed aside or excused in the busyness of life? Do those memories come back for the purpose of confession and repentance? I’ve never heard this before, and my memory loss is mostly mild inattention. If this theory amounts to nothing, one lesson from the dry bones story is that forgiven still means forgotten! Even now I can put my past behind me, and live in joy. I can also not worry about memory loss for the Lord is still the Lord.

PRAY: Jesus, perhaps those who struggle with onsetting forgetfulness are receiving a taste of eternity. There You will put even the old memories into the ‘forgotten’ category. However, You will not leave our minds blank and unable. You already have given us the joy of focusing on You in worship and adoration. You also tell us to “not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” and with that mind we will be able to discern Your good and acceptable and perfect will. (Romans 12:2) By the power of the Holy Spirit, may all who struggle with memory loss rejoice that it could merely be a foretaste of this great blessing to come.

His school of higher learning…

A childhood illness kept me out of public school and away from other children for most of grades one to seven. Later, I realized how much I did not learn from being with my peers, particularly the people skills that are learned by experience. I didn’t know what to say or do in many normal situations. I felt the awkwardness of having a blank mind or no opinion rather than knowing what my peers learned from growing up in a social setting. 

When I became a Christian in my late twenties, this lack became an acute reality. However, it was not totally negative. Instead, God used it to His advantage. I did not have many worldly ideas to unlearn. I also felt like a servant coming to Him eager to learn how to live.

Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he has mercy upon us. (Psalm 123:2)

Many other verses became a comfort to me and an encouragement when I felt stupid or not like other people, verses like these:

Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. (Psalm 25:4)
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. (Psalm 32:8)
I am your servant; give me understanding, that I may know your testimonies! (Psalm 119:125)
So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)
Put false ways far from me and graciously teach me your law! (Psalm 119:29)

The image of having an empty platter for Him to fill became particularly strong. Many times I’ve felt like that, particularly after seeing other Christians who seemed to know very easily what to do and say, even in awkward situations. 

Struggling to be more like that, I realized two things: one is that this is not about learning it in school but about relying on the Holy Spirit. And secondly, even when feeling blank about many things, I have a great deal of pride and can be stubborn about having ‘my way’ instead of obeying God. Doing and saying the ‘right’ thing involves being humble and lowly, teachable and willing to listen to and obey the Spirit. This is not learned in grade school either.

My part involves spiritual disciplines such as Bible reading, study, and prayer, being alone with God, asking for His wisdom and trusting what He says. It helps to pray His Word, and learn of Him. Obedience is an intentional choice, but it can be stalled by unforgiveness, failure to confess my sins, and failure to be accountable to others. 

While I might have learned many things from my peers in class and on the playground, I would not have learned obedience from a changed heart. That involves lessons that come only from the Lord because He is the only one who can make the changes. This is certainly why this verse has always part of my learning experience:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

PRAY: Lord, would being in school as a child made learning about You easier? I don’t think so. It might have given me more worldly notions that require ‘mind renewal’ (Romans 12:2) and deepened my stubborn pride, but I can’t know that. I just know that You governed my life from birth to this day, and You know what still needs to be done to transform me into the image of Your Son (Romans 8:28-29). For all that You do as my Savior and Teacher, I am deeply thankful even though I realize how far I am from that goal.

God knows what a stubborn heart needs

Recent OT reading reminded me of the laws protecting those who accidentally killed someone. For them, God provided cities of refuge where such a person could flee and be safe until given a fair trial. They knew their ‘crime’ was a sinful thing, but instead of dying for it, God had mercy. He knows that some sins are not willfully committed. 

Also some sins are not realized to be sins because of a lack of knowledge of God's will. This happens to those who are don’t have a salvation experience as well as to those who do. The Christian who fails to read the Bible may not realize the sin in some of their actions.

Piper quotes questions that seem rhetorical to those of us who know these truths, yet did his original readers have that knowledge? Is he rebuking them or informing them? Either way, he is saying that knowing truth changes behavior…

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:15–20)

While this points specifically to a sinful relationship with a prostitute, it can refer to any form of sexually immorality, and applies to other sins. God is asking, “Do you not know…” and if the reader knows these truths, then they should be fleeing such sin. 

As I read it, I thought of a familiar quote: “A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.” The origin is unknown but it merits the question concerning Bible knowledge. Most Christians could say, “I knew it was wrong, but I did it anyway” about some sin or other. The desire to run our own lives and go for what we think we need can be stronger than mere knowledge. 

This was in my mind yesterday too. To live out what I know is deeper than knowledge and deeper than will power, for we also have this stubborn fleshy ‘won’t power’ when temptation comes. Even though I know this …

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

… does not mean I will choose that way of escape. Nor does it mean the right choice will be made by others who know truth. Christians fall into the trap of sin because the desires of the old nature bombard them — not always out of ignorance or failure to remember that the temptation is offering a no-no. Either way, unintentional or a deliberate resistance to God, when the truth hits, all believers are offered a ‘city of refuge’ in the loving and forgiving arms of Jesus Christ.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

I read this verse, knowing how vital it is, knowing how important this truth is to spiritual growth, and am incredible thankful that the Spirit of God enables me to obey it. I’ve not always been willing. Choosing my way over God’s way brings consequences. From those, God shows me that His will is for my good. He is not a God with a big stick but with a big heart. Falling on my face by wanting my way, has taught me to drop my way, to say with Jesus, “not my will but thine be done.” Hard lessons. Just knowing the truth about Jesus and being set free from sin works the best in a heart that also knows the truth about itself.

PRAY: You are love and truth and all I need, Jesus. I know that in my mind, in my experience, in my heart. Hard lessons for this stubborn soul. Thank You for being so patient and so persistent.

Be quick to confess. . . .

 

I often say that 1 John 1:9 is the most important verse in the Bible for spiritual growth. It tells me what to do to get rid of the sin that keeps me from being more like Jesus:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

Why is this? Simple. My sin puts a kibosh on the freedom that Jesus gives. It ruins my communication with God and puts His priority on dealing with my sin instead of answering prayers for anything else. Sin turns my focus to me instead of Him. I am not being obedient. Instead, I’m pushing Him out of my life.

But, He is faithful and wants to deal with that sin and cleanse it from me. He wants me filled with the Spirit and not with my I-wants. All I need to do is tell Him that I agree — whatever I thought, spoke, or did is sin. I need to turn from it, and when I do, He does as this verse says and restores me to being a Spirit-filled child.

This morning, my Bible opened to a verse for the day. I’d already prayed this thought and sang a couple of songs that expressed it, so it caught my eye:

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. (Psalm 32:8)

When I turned to this verse, I read the 7 verses before it and discovered the OT version of 1 John 1:9:

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah (Psalm 32:1–7)

David wrote this knowing that keeping silent about his sin was affecting his health, both physical and spiritual. His bones wasted; his strength diminished. He lost the sense of God's protection. But when he confessed his sin, he found deliverance, again the freedom of knowing forgiveness, knowing it to the point that he heard it shouted to him in songs!

The tensions in my body fade just thinking about the power of God to forgive and cleanse. As strong as the temptations to run my own life can be, this promise is far stronger and more precious. Years of experience shout to me. Don’t wait until a period of Lent, or a revival, or Sunday morning, or even to the next time I sit down with my Bible, or until the sun goes down. If I turn from God at any time or in any way, as soon as the Spirit convicts me (which is usually instantly) confess it. Don’t wait. Don’t let that sin roll around my pride and fatten it. Don’t let that sin pinch another person’s joy. Don’t let that sin build a selfish “I don’t care” attitude or even the thought that it does not matter. Tell God that I agree — I blew it.

PRAY: Jesus, I love it that I can bring all my goof-ups to You for forgiveness and cleansing. In my eyes, they could be small things, but in Your eyes, sin is sin. You died for each one, even for that selfish attitude that tends to think running my own life for a little while is not bad… after all, I’m not murdering anyone. But each sin insults You and denies the wonder of the Cross where You died. For shame that I should think it does not matter… for that thought is a sin also.

Sometimes God wants me to go first…

Where I live, spending time with widows is relatively easy. Not so concerning orphans. For instance, the local children’s hospital has rules about visitors. If a child has no family or no family visits (it happens), I could not visit those children without special vetting and permission. Orphans are protected by laws to keep the public from seeking time with them. This is, of course, protection from predators, but it also keeps me for obeying all of this verse:

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (James 1:27)

Piper points to an OT verse that speaks about caring for those who are unable to care for themselves:

Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. (Isaiah 30:18)

While this is not as specific as James about those to whom God shows mercy, it is clear that He does it to show His glory. I can transfer that to the description in James and rightly assume that caring for needy people exalts the Lord. Piper puts it this way: “One mark of great, self-sufficient poise is the willingness to get down low with the weak.”

That opens the door to far more than two groups of needy people. It even puts me in that category because God gets personal by using “you” to describe those He wants to be gracious toward. He is talking about those who wait for Him. Needy people do that, also people who are humble and realize that God is eager to help. It is not about those who take matters into their own hands. Instead, I am to wait on the Lord. However, the point is that God exalts Himself by showing mercy.

Since mercy is taking pity on and showing compassion to those who do not deserve it, this covers the entire human race. Salvation is a mercy because our sin means sinners should be punished, yet to be merciful is to be like God.

This gets personal. It tells me that if I am not merciful with those who are weak, I’m not being like the Lord. In the Bible, “weak” can describe those who are feeble, sick; morally weak; or those lacking in knowledge or faith. I know several who fall into each of those definitions. The feeble and sick are easiest to be merciful toward, but I get annoyed with those who seem dim about God and dim in their faith. I get  the same reaction in my heart when Christians disobey.

In other words, my ability to be merciful has great flaws. I do better when I remember how much mercy God has shown me, but pride and self-righteousness often jump in instead of treating others  in humility and with His compassion.

Maybe this is why God illustrates with widows and orphans. It is much more likely to feel tender-hearted to them than to others who are weak as a result of their own choosing or because they fail to seek the truths of God that will strengthen them. Yet I’m faced this morning with a similar challenge. Will I be strengthened in my faith and walk with God by being merciful to those whose sins and spiritual neglect usually annoy me? To do this, I must first do this:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

PRAY: Lord, I’m acutely aware of the people who disregard Your principles and choose to do life their way, even when their Bible is open in front of them. I pray that You will change their hearts but You have not done so, indicating that it is my heart that You first wish to change. Piper’s line of being willing to get down low with the weak points to my bad attitude of not being willing to put up with others who are unwittingly feeding their old nature and as a result fail to glorify You. This does not mean that I endorse what they do, but that I should have mercy on them and bless them, releasing them to experience Your grace in their hearts because You have worked forgiveness in mine.

Amazing Hope. . . .

So far, this has been a challenging week with concern for friends, odd health issues, spiritual lessons that seem impossible to learn and apply, interruptions to almost every task, and a long to-do list, meetings and appointments, and new information flying at me like angry wasps. I felt abandoned at times, like Jesus had other more important things to deal with and the battles were mine alone.

Today’s reading is like warm oil. It begins with: “They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.” (Revelation 22:4)

When John wrote of his experiences in exile, he saw a sealed scroll and was concerned that no one could open it and he began to weep. However. . . .  

One of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Then Jesus appeared between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders, standing as a Lamb as though it had been slain. He took the scroll and the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before Him, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

Then John heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders. These angels numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands. They said with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”

Not only that, every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, were saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped. (Revelation 5:1–14)

The Bible does not tell us much about heaven, but this is awesome. I will have a clear vision of Christ. Everything which now hinders my sight of Him will be removed. My many sins, earthly cares and sorrows will be gone, and like the song that blesses me, there will be nothing between me and my Savior, nothing to rival Christ or distract me from all that is in Him.

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. (1 John 3:1–3)

This is full redemption — seeing the face of Jesus with all evil and every fleshy impulse totally eradicated. I long for that complete transformation when my will and heart are totally one with His will and heart. No more battles with sin. Total bliss.

PRAY: Jesus, thank You for such a wonderful hope, particularly when the days are long and filled with so much of the struggles that will not be in heaven. What a great blessing to know that when I at last see Your face, I will be perfectly satisfied. In the meantime, thank You also for the challenge to purify myself as You are pure, doing this by obedience to another truth from John: “If I confess my sins, You are faithful and just to forgive my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) Truly, You are a worthy and awesome God.

Hope in this battle. . . .

Chinese martyr Watchman Nee described how being a Christian was like having two dogs fighting inside him. When asked which dog wins, he said, “The one I feed the most.” I wish it were that simple.

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 5:17)

It seems to me that feeding the right one with God's Word and obedience often increases the appetite of the other, even provokes the enemy to pollute the good food or snatch it from memory. These fighting dogs seldom take a nap.

Today’s reading spells it out. I am like all believers in God’s kingdom. I have two natures, two principles warring against one another continually. The flesh is dead in that it is separated from God and seeks ‘my way’ which is the Bible’s definition of sin.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)

The living entity, far from being a dog, is the new nature given to me at salvation. It is still me, yet like a hand in a glove, it only functions when I am filled with the Holy Spirit. This is God’s work. He makes me righteous, and this nature always seeks righteousness.

This constant warfare between the flesh and the Spirit sometimes is marked by the flesh having its way resulting in sin. This sin must be confessed and turned from in repentance and true sorrow.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

This is the power of God to deliver me from the power of sin, even from its presence. Yet I cannot underestimate that old nature’s determination to have its way. The battle is constant unless I am trusting Christ alone for all my righteousness before God and am filled with the Spirit. For this, recognizing the flesh is vital.

This day’s devotional points to the psalm where the author describes what happened when he stumbled in envy of the prosperity of sinful people. Reading it helped me see some ways my flesh tries to rule my life...

Truly God is good. . . . to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled. . . . For I was envious of the prosperity of the wicked . . . .  They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind. . . .   always at ease. . . . they increase in riches. All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. For all the day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning. If I had said, “I will speak thus,” I would have betrayed the generation of your children. But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task. . . .  

However this changed when the psalmist took a good look at the will of God. . . .  

I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end. Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin. How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors! Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms. 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. For 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 73:1–28)

PRAY: Lord, how true. Even if the brutish side of me seems to be winning, You are always with me, always lifting me up, always the strength of my heart. You promise to finish the work that You started in me, and that one day, when I see You face to face, I will be like You. No more growling dog or flesh determination, only peace and joy always and forever. Let not my heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day. Surely there is a future, and my hope will not be cut off. (Proverbs 23:17–18)

Full Redemption has two parts...

If a thief was offered mercy and forgiven, then kept on stealing from others, that would be a mockery of both mercy and forgiveness. Any court that offered such leniency hopes for a changed life in response, but as the Bible says, leopards can’t change their spots. It takes more power than thieves, judges, courts, and good intentions to do that.

This is why biblical redemption is a two-fold thing involving the price for sin being paid and the power of sin being broken.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

The main OT story that illustrates the payment for sin is when God redeemed His children from Egypt. They were sealed and protected from judgment by the blood on their doors so the angel of death passed over them.Their part was to trust God and obey this strange request.

They were then given specific laws to obey and the promise of a Messiah to fully redeem them. Moses realized this but most did not. While they knew they were His, sadly, the laws only showed them their need for the Messiah. Then when Jesus came, they didn’t recognize He was the One who would deliver them. “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.” (John 1:11)

Even so, as a man Jesus became subject to the will and law of God in every point, working out a perfect righteousness as our Representative. He did what we cannot do, what most do not even try to do. We witnessed that yesterday at a funeral. The only mention of the Lord was in one line of a song and in a story about skiing where the family were thankful to Him for making it down a hill safely.

However, acknowledging God is rarely evidence of redemption or faith. A person might realize Jesus died to pay the penalty of sin, but this is just part of what redemption includes. The power of sin also needs to be broken. When God sent Christ to die for us, it was so “those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:15–17)

This means a full release from the bondage of sin and no more trying to please God by being ‘good’ and doing good things. This new birth is the power of God living in my heart. It is redemption that gives new life. In other words, the thief no longer desires to steal — this sinner no longer wants to run her own life. To live in sin means I would deny the ownership of God, and think He has no right, power, or authority over me. It is believing the lie that I am wise enough and well equipped enough to do what is best for me without any input from my Creator.

Redemption therefore is not just believing Jesus lived and died, but it is realizing that He took my sin and gave me His righteousness so I can say no to sin and obey the One who created me and gave me Jesus, my Messiah. It is relying on Him to both forgive and cleanse, and that does a total remake of a life that was once only about ‘doing it my way’ and ignoring His way.
This is a sure and certain fact. I am redeemed by His death and empowered by His life. There is no redemption in just believing He lived and died. It must include the reality of His life living in me and making me a new person.

PRAY: Jesus, I begin another day trusting You, worshiping You, wanting to be filled with Your Spirit and thinking of You, talking about You, and doing what You desire for me. Because of You, “Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.” (Psalm 31:5)

Two kinds of repentance?

 Most evangelicals believe “turn or burn” is not the right way to preach the gospel even though there is truth in these unfortunate choice of words. Burn is a crude way of describing the fate of those who reject God, and turn is another way to define repentance, another word that confuses many.

The OT describes repentance as changing one’s course of action. The NT suggests a change of mind, specifically to turn from sin and put faith in Jesus Christ. However, the definition is further clarified by what follows godly repentance. The contrast is a mere emotional regret that does not produce anything much more than sorrow that I got caught and further separation from God.

For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter. (2 Corinthians 7:10–11)

Today’s devotional says that all temporary repentance is false repentance and quotes a verse that indicates true repentance is not humanly produced but is a gift from God:

When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.” (Acts 11:18)

Another verse adds that I should never take for granted God’s forgiveness for my sin, because that would be presuming “on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.” (Romans 2:4) In other words, when He kindly forgives, He also intends that I should change my ways and turn from the sin that He forgave.

A few weeks ago, I confessed a bad attitude and action to a few of my Christian friends. One of them made a remark that I’d likely do it again. She was describing false repentance without realizing that was not why I’d confessed the sin, nor was it the result. God cleansed that attitude and action — and it has not plagued me since God also granted a change of heart.

Another passage describes the will of God concerning how I’m to live:

Each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, (1 Thessalonians 4:4–10)

The Holy Spirit does this, just as Jesus said in John 16:8-14 and just as 1 Thessalonians 1:9 describes one result of genuine repentance. Other verses say that when my “turn from sin” is a true desire, it will result in a deeper commitment to Christ that continues. If the sin returns, this indicates to me that I’d not fully recognized it or not confessed the root of it. That is, it is possible to confess only the actions and retain the selfish attitude that produced them. Once the Spirit gets me to the bottom of what I am guilty of and I see it and agree with Him, He sets me free of it and grants perseverance to move forward in seeking and trusting Christ.

PRAY: Jesus, it is good to be reminded not to take lightly the need of confession and repentance. You have made 1 John 1:9 a strong life-changing verse in my life. I’m so grateful for the gift and the power of repentance.

Why worry?

 

There is something in the human heart that likes to worry. Worry is a false sense of being in control rather than feeling totally helpless. A friend laughs saying, “Why pray when you can worry?”

Worry is taking a task that can be solved or accomplished by God and loading on ourselves, making it my responsibility to ‘fix’ even though I cannot fix it. When that happens, I have decide that I can ‘fix’ it by praying, but instead of asking God to attend to it according to His will, I am telling God what to do, another form of control.

Whether it is mine or another person’s dilemma, what if the problem is actually God’s will? He does allow tough circumstances and uses all things to make His children more like Jesus. We suppose that His will has the purpose of making us happy — without realizing that something might need to change in my heart before I experience the comfort of His joy.

I read this morning how God’s laws are not given in His authority so we will respect His glory, but given in wisdom with the purpose to benefit us.  

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. (Psalm 19:7–11)

The will of God is perfect. Without it, I would be like an animal, without justice, faith, and other things that are good for body and soul. His world would be changed if everyone could live according to what God wants for us. It be summed up by love God and love one another. Even those who break His laws tend to see and agree that they are good. All realize that love would bring an end to enmity, and the noise of groans and cursing would not be heard. Peace would prevail and much joy and singing would fill the air. As Job 36:22 says, “Behold, God is exalted in his power; who is a teacher like him?”

Our problem is not that God wants good. We might agree on that in principle, but are not able to express it in practice. His love is not a mushy feeling and impossible is without the presence of faith and the power of the Holy Spirit. Note this brief description:

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4–7)

Mothers can be patient and kind with their babes, but as they grow and have minds of their own, that patience easily gets tainted with other attitudes that do not come from God’s kind of love. I boast about my kids; it makes me look good. I can be arrogant or rude or want my own way. Human love is so often selfish. The only cure is to be filled with the Spirit of God who gives what is needed by producing what I cannot do apart from Him:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. (Galatians 5:22–26)

Love is a God-thing. Being crucified is a gospel event, another God-thing. Keeping in step with the Spirit is another God-thing. I cannot turn off my conceit, or any other bad attitude. I can only confess it as sin and experience the important God-thing of forgiveness and cleansing (1 John 1:9). Without that, faking it is a form of boasting (not love) and is also living in my own way (not love).

PRAY: Jesus, I know that worry is not love either. It is a God-denying self-effort to make right something that I cannot fix. It is an arrogance, not love for You or even respect for Your great power. Instead of worry, enable me to love You and encourage those who worry to also love You rather than worry about anything. You rule the universe and because You love us, You can deal with all our teeny problems!

Fear is not from God

Some who consider themselves Christian are in constant turmoil about matters of faith. For example, the author of “God is Enough: Inspiring Words of Christian Affirmation for Every Day of the Year” assumes that all Christians struggle to believe God and are not “comfortable” in their religious life. After some research and a great deal of Bible study, I’ve come to the conclusion that if that is true, then the most important ingredient missing is relationship. Jesus said:

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)

Whether Jesus is speaking or not, they are not listening to Him and therefore not experiencing the life that comes from His lips to their hearts.

I cannot know what others are hearing. I only know that God reveals to me, through His Word, the thoughts and intents of my heart. Sometimes this revelation is instant, before any choice is made. Sometimes I make the wrong choice and hear Him speak after that to show me my error and need to confess the sin of paying attention to the world, the flesh, and/or the devil. Either way, the revealing comes from Him. It might be through reading the Word, hearing it preached, or the Holy Spirit bringing it to my memory. Again, either way brings forgiveness and cleansing… and the freedom of knowing what He told me is true. It may have been “don’t do that” or “you did that - agree with Me and repent” but He does His saving work through His Word.

This week I was told of someone who believes in Jesus but is in constant anxiety and fear. This flies in the face of how many times “do not fear” is repeated in Scripture. It might as well say “do not sin” because the NT says: “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

Since fear is not from God, it is not for me or any of His people to accept. Instead, His power, love and spiritual self-control are ours when we confess we have that sin of fear and He cleanses us. (1 John 1:9)

I’ve no idea what makes others anxious but I get that way when I think I have to do something that is too difficult (fear of failure), or when I look at things I can see — which may or may not reflect what God is doing (lack of faith). The Bible lists a few more sources of fear and some hints for a solution as well as the need to confess it as sin.

Fear of Exposure: And (Adam) said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” (Genesis 3:10)
Lacking Love: There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. (1 John 4:18)
Death: Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. (Hebrews 2:14–15)
Trusting Self over God: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5–6)
Failure: Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
Lacking Faith: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. (Psalm 34:7)
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

God promises to take care of me. Not believing He will and letting fear dominate flies in the face of this promise and is an insult to His Word, the very Word that gives me life. It is better to say: “I am fearful and need help” than to think that my fear is so great that even God cannot remove it.

PRAY: Healthy fear? Maybe an approaching lion or another danger to avoid, but it grieves me to see fear govern lives instead of the promises You make and the power of Your presence. Fill me with Your peace and set free anyone who is in bondage to fear, regardless of the cause — for You are the cure!

Why prayers are not answered…

After USA election results came in, some will rejoice and others will wonder why God did not answer their prayers. Today’s devotional reading offers a simple reason: lack of faith. But this is not the only reason that God does not respond to requests. Several sources group the reasons, such as this example:

• Spiritual sins - doubt, hypocrisy, pride, flippancy etc.
• Poor relationships - rudeness, unforgiveness, malice, anger, wrath, divisiveness.
• Major sin - things categorized as doing evil indicating no faith or walking in the flesh
• Praying amiss - lack of persistence, not fasting, not using Jesus' name etc.

Unconfessed sin is a major reason. When I fall short but fail to agree with God and neglect 1 John 1:9, I cannot assume God will answer me: “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” (Psalm 66:18) The psalms are filled with verses about God hearing those whose life is righteous.

Lack of faith is also a problem. Hebrews 11 says that people must believe in God and that he rewards those who seek him. If this is my issue, my lack of faith must also be confessed. Since faith comes by hearing the Word, then I need to be diligent in reading it! The lack of Scriptural knowledge has done more damage to prayer than anything in the church. As Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."

Poor relationships cover a wide spectrum, mostly obvious. One is plainly stated but often ignored:

Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. (1 Peter 3:7)

I’m not a husband, but as the “likewise” in this passage points out, I have a responsibility to be respectful with a gentle and quiet spirit, paying attention to my hubby’s leadership. While this is not a popular teaching, doing what God says in my marriage makes a huge difference in my prayer life too.

Of course God isn’t hearing prayers if major sin is present. His priority is my obedient faithfulness to walk in the Spirit and demonstrate the life of Christ to those around me. If not, my prayers are not at the top of His list. He is going to deal with my sin first, either by exposure, trials, or conviction. I better listen if I want Him to listen. My behavior is God’s priority.

I can pray wrongly too. One obvious example is not praying at all. James 4:2 says, "You don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it.” This passage goes on to add another: "You ask and do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, so that you may spend what you request on your pleasures.” God isn’t interested in granting me my selfish I-wants or prayers that come from the wrong side of being double-minded.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (James 1:5–8)

If faith is right, and my life is right, and I’m keeping short accounts, then delays are not necessarily a denial of the request. God's timetable may be different from mine. I know He is more invested in the outcomes than I am. An example from Jesus: If an unjust judge would answer the request of an unconnected widow, how much more will a loving, righteous, generous God hear the prayers of His chosen ones. God is my heavenly Father. I are not coming before a tyrant; I are coming before a friend who is also my heavenly Father. 

Jesus also said, "Ask, and it will be given. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened." He reminds me that a good father knows how to give good gifts to their children. How much more does God love to bestow the Holy Spirit on those who ask? Being filled with the Spirit in my praying is vital. It begins with confession and is followed by obedience:

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:16)

This is the passion that comes from loving the Lord, my God, with all my heart, mind, and soul —  and praying with fervent trust in what God will do.

PRAY: Jesus, as I go to prayer today, may I speak to You in demonstration of complete faith and total trust — and in the power and zeal of the Holy Spirit. May You grant me the words to say and eagerness to look forward to Your responses, even exceedingly above all I can ask or imagine.