Faith and obedience are partners

 

MacArthur starts his devotion by saying how unpopular it is to speak of the Bible as a book of commandments, even though the Bible says:

The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; (Psalm 19:8)

Obeying God identifies true believers:

And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: (1 John 2:3–5)

Even Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments . . . . Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” (John 14:15;21)

God’s commands are “pure” and “enlighten the eyes” meaning Scripture (and the work of the Holy Spirit) brings spiritual truth into clear focus. Not every passage of Scripture is easy to understand, but taken as a whole, the message of the Bible is clear to the regenerate mind.

This showed up this morning. A woman in the education system is under fire for posting two photos on social media. One was a group of children waving swastikas, and the other was a group of children waving rainbow flag. It was captioned, “Brainwashing is brainwashing.”

Knowing what the Bible say about these matters is one thing, but having the courage to repeat it is noteworthy. However, today’s newspaper printed a letter from a liberal church leader condemning her for saying she was obeying the Holy Spirit. He obviously didn’t get it.

As MacArthur says, the Bible is clear to believers, but unredeemed people can’t understand it. To them it’s foolishness because their minds are unenlightened. Some will even used it to support their sin. God knows this:

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:14)

At first, that letter made me angry but soon God reminded me that any ability to understand His Word is a priceless gift. Yes, I can mess up, disobey, and so on, but He keeps working on me to take advantage of what He says by reading and studying it daily. As He expands my Bible knowledge, His expectations of obedience also increase.

I praise Him for giving that woman a command to speak out against the way our school systems are teaching kids that sin is okay and speaking against it is not. The woman who obeyed can say with the psalmist, “Those who render me evil for good accuse me because I follow after good.” (Psalm 38:20)

God’s prophets also speak out against calling evil good, even if God’s people do it:

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20)

For my people are foolish; they know me not; they are stupid children; they have no understanding. They are ‘wise’—in doing evil! But how to do good they know not. (Jeremiah 4:22)

I know the power of spiritual blindness. I also know that I cannot convince someone of truth because only the Holy Spirit does that. I’m just thankful that I can pray for this woman who bravely obeyed and suffers for doing what God told her, and for the man who cannot see that saying sin is okay. May all of us be open to what God’s Word says. His ways are holy, just and true and if sin is not sin, then Jesus did not have to die.

PRAY: Without You, Jesus, I’m not sure what sin would ruin me, but I know that the saving power of Your Word is both humbling and painful, yet liberating as it opens my eyes so I can see the difference between grace and license. No one lives without sin except You, and knowing it means loving, trusting, and obeying You — and in that there is great clarity and freedom.

PONDER: While the natural person cannot accept the things of the Spirit of God because they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned, I know I can be like that if strong ‘I wants’ and opinions take over and ruin my focus on Jesus. I also know that the spiritual person judges all things, and others cannot judge me concerning my obedience to You. My prayer today is for those who speak up about the will of God. May all obey the Spirit’s leading with the mind of Christ, even if the whole world thinks we are evil instead of good. They thought the same about Jesus.

 

 

“Be good” is about far more than behavior . . .

 

As a child, the first prayer I learned was, “God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for this food.” Many years later, an elderly Christian was seen poking a young Bible college student in the chest and saying, “Life is not fair, but never forget that God is good.” Sometimes people use it as a protest against negatives by saying, “Good God” as if appealing to Him to do something about it. What is it about God that brings out the description of Him as being GOOD?

In the OT, the noun is about prosperity. Even today, we tend to associate “good things” with the blessing of God in our lives and His goodness. However, the Bible also reminds me that to enjoy that prosperity requires a faith relationship with Him. Many prosperous people are not happy, always wanting more, because they do not know the One who has blessed them with His goodness.

The adjective GOOD is used hundreds of times to describe goodness, beauty, and moral uprightness. God called all that He made “good” and Rebekah “fair” and David “handsome” using the same word. He also uses the same adjective as a warning, particularly to those who think that God is anything other than GOOD:

Isaiah 5:20. Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

God is described as good, especially in the Psalms with the words of Psalm 86:5 repeated in many places: “For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.” King David knew the Lord and declared in the familiar 23^rd Psalm:” Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

The NT uses different words for good, beautiful and kind. Because “good” is about God (Jesus said only God is good) the ideas conveyed with these words often overlap. Jesus is a good teacher and God uses all things together for good in my life. Everything He does is good and as James 1:17 says: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

Not only that He finishes what He starts, as Philippians 1:6 affirms: “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” He finishes well because along the way He equips me with everything good:

Hebrews 13:20–21. Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

2 Corinthians 9:8. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

Philippians 2:13. for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

One Greek word, used only in Paul’s letters, describes God as good and kind, notably in the Person of Jesus Christ our Savior.

Titus 3:4–6. “When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.”

GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. God’s goodness is in Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Both are given to me so I can focus on the goodness of God who saved me and share that goodness as Jesus said. He wants me to “Let my light shine before others, so that they may see my good works and give glory to my Father who is in heaven.” In other words, be aware of the good that God is and the good that He is doing and let it affect who I am and what I do as a reflection of Him.