Avoiding: Garbage in = garbage out

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)

God saved me “by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5) and a big part of this renewal is to live by a renewed mind. That is, what I think about is vital to how I live. The NT says this:

But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. (Colossians 3:8–10)

Renewed in knowledge means knowing what God has done for me, thinking about it, letting it govern how I talk and act. This is because “what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person…” (Matthew 15:18–20)

The psalmist wrote, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.” (Psalm 119:9) and the NT says, “Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.” (Philippians 3:15) It also gives the standards of how to think:

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)

God says He will put His laws on my heart, and write them on my mind (Hebrews 10:16) but how do they get there? Usually not from reading or watching the news, from fiction books, listening to podcasts, etc. but this way:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16)

Most excuses for time spent in Scripture involve being too busy and not enough time, yet if I evaluate what I do have time for, how will that affect my mind if I trade it for godly thinking that helps me not only to know Jesus better, but have thoughts that are not sin-producing but sharable with others who do not know Him?

Jesus, I’m so thankful for the habit of having daily devotions that began even before You renewed my heart, and for the love of reading and studying Your Word. It is my protection from evil, a faith-builder, and encouragement to give to others. It is how to know You better and the best way to think Your thoughts.

A reason to pray . . .

 

I’ve been praying for the salvation of a person I know because her extreme selfishness is ruining lives. She is oblivious to her condition and her attitude is a childish ‘I will have my own way’ no matter what anyone else might want. In other words, I want God to fix this mess for those reasons.

However, God rebukes my motive for praying. He starts with this statement and a verse: Every dimension of life, whether physical or spiritual, is a testimony to God’s mercy.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Peter 1:3)

When God saves, it is not because anyone is special, more deserving, or more needy. Nor is it because their sinfulness is interfering with the faith of others. It is because He sovereignly choses to love and extend His great mercy to that person.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— (Ephesians 2:4–5)

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, (Titus 3:5)

As today’s devotional says, God addresses the pitiful condition of mankind because of His great mercy. Unregenerate people are totally depraved, dead in trespasses, enslaved to sin, cursed to eternal damnation, unable to help themselves, and in desperate need of someone to show them mercy and compassion. That’s the good news of the gospel: God loves sinners and extends mercy to all.

Of course, we need to be willing to admit we need it, but that is God’s doing also. We are told to repent yet also told that God grants it:

God exalted (Jesus) at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. (Acts 5:31)

The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. (Acts 17:30)

Or do you presume 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)

And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. (2 Timothy 2:24–26)

Without Jesus, repentance is not a purely human action. Esau sold his birthright and regretted his actions, then afterward, “when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.” (Hebrews 12:17) This was an ‘I’m sorry I got caught’ repentance, not the kind God wants. His “godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10)

Bottom line: as I pray for this person, I need to ask God for mercy. He loves sinners and as the OT says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22–23)

My prayers need to look more like this: “For your steadfast love is great above the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth! That your beloved ones may be delivered, give salvation by your right hand and answer me!” (Psalm 108:4–6)

Also, when I pray, asking for godly repentance must be included. This is not a case of ‘fix it for my comfort’ but a case of ‘turn her life around, granting repentance that You may be glorified.’

PRAY: Jesus, You always address the needs of my heart first before You grant the desires of my heart. In this case, my desires were more about me than the other person, never mind that my concern ought to be that You are glorified in the answer. I’m thankful for Your great mercy. By it, I repented and received eternal life and an eternal inheritance. Without Your goodness and grace, I would be just like that person whose selfishness is so destructive.

PONDER: Mark 10:46–52 tells how a blind man called out for mercy and received it. When God granted mercy to me, I didn’t call out for it nor realize how much I needed it, yet He came into my life anyway. For those who are caught up in ‘me, me, me’ the Lord God knows exactly what to do and how to demonstrate mercy and His great love and power. I need Him to show me my part in doing the same.

 

 

God’s gift of mercy

 

Today’s message from God is a reminder that is both humbling and uplifting. He says, “Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1 Peter 2:10)

Both grace and mercy are gifts from God. Grace is getting His favor I do not deserve — forgiveness and eternal life; and mercy is not getting the punishment I do deserve — because Jesus Christ took it for me.

Mercy is God’s compassion and forgiveness shown toward sinners when it is within His power and right to punish and reject us. His love for His unfaithful OT people is illustrated in the life of Hosea. This prophet had an unfaithful wife who bore two children. God told him to name the daughter Lo-ruhamah, meaning “No mercy,” and his son Lo-ammi, which means “Not mine.” Yet He offered this hope,

The number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.” (Hosea 1:10)

This hope was reiterated in the NT by the above verse written by Peter, and by Paul who wrote:

As indeed he says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’ ” “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’ ” (Romans 9:25–26)

This is a promise and the hope of those the Lord calls to trust the Lord Jesus Christ, even the Gentiles are included. It is for all who by faith are God’s beloved children.

God’s mercy shows in salvation and in daily blessings. When I sin, He could swat me like an annoying fly but instead asks me to only to confess my sin and He adds another blessed promise:

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)

What amazing compassion and kindness! This is not what I deserve, and often what I do not expect. Sin bothers me so much that sometimes I want to punish myself, but Almighty God is instead merciful and I “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1)

PRAY: Jesus, these verses express how Your mercy and grace touches me:

But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress. O my Strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love. (Psalm 59:16–17)

PONDER: Psalm 103:11; 2 Corinthians 1:3; and Titus 3:5 and continue to praise God for His great mercy and steadfast love.