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.

 

 

God wants me to rest . . .

 

Consider this: September 1^st I fell down some stairs, was bruised and sore for a time, but it didn’t faze me very much. I was aware of God’s care and protection as my slight injuries could have been much worse. However, this week I have a head cold, the first in many years and for a few days have been feeling sorry for myself and wanting to skip devotions, skip prayers, do nothing but snack and sleep and complain. Go figure. Since God carried me through a far more serious incident, what is the matter with me and this ordinary problem?

A couple weeks ago one of our pastors preached on Sabbath rest. It was not about rules for Sunday but about a life pattern. God designed it for our good; six days of work and one day of rest. Rest is not necessarily lolling on the sofa with my feet up, but that is not what hit me in this sermon. It was one line the pastor used to describe what many people do: hurry, hurry, hurry, crash, hurry, hurry, hurry, crash. I see myself as one of those and I am crashing.

The pastor used the story of slavery in Egypt to remind us that we have been delivered from slavery, not to go back there. Then he asked, “What is your Pharaoh?” or my slavedriver? And my immediate thought was my to-do list, part of that hurry, hurry, crash pattern. My hubby will not let me blame the list though. He often says we are busy by choice. Eventually that choice takes a toll, and in my case, hurry, hurry weakened my body enough that it finally gave in to a virus.

Today’s devotional begins with some scolding but designed to get my thinking back on track: “The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart . . .”  (Psalm 19:8) A friend of ours used to call my attitude “stinkin’ thinkin’” — not because it makes a person smell bad but because it results in anything but rejoicing. It is thinking like most of the world thinks —assuming joy can only be found when you are 100% healthy. This idea is part of a false teaching called the prosperity gospel. Instead, the Word of God says:

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. (Psalm 1:1–3)

I need to get my mind off poor me and on to the wonder of God’s ways. He can give joy in trials. He did it when I fell down those stairs and He can do it again. I need to read His Book because it is “a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105) My purpose in being here is not to feel sorry for myself but rejoice because I have been raised with Christ and can, “seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1–4)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:3–12)

PRAY: Lord, forgive my selfish attitude and fill me with Your Spirit. Help me be mindful of the reason I live and to seek Your grace and power, rather than feel sorry for myself.

PONDER: the goodness of God and trust in His will for me. Seek Him in all things, big or small.