Various Scriptures - Guilt and Forgiveness

Romans 3:9 

What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin. 

Message: Objective and Subjective Guilt

What the Lord is Saying: Apologetics is the study of defending the Christian faith. One issue that comes up is experiencing guilt. Subjective guilt is how one feels. Objective guilt is based upon a standard. One can feel guilty and yet not have broken a standard, while one can have broken a standard and yet not feel guilty. 

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Romans 2:14-15

For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a Law to themselves, in that they show the working of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness, and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them. 

Message: Addressing our Guilt

What the Lord is Saying: Sociopath is someone that ignores right and wrongs and feelings of others in acting out. If a person has guilt, sometimes they will seek ways to mitigate it or mask it like through different forms of addiction or escape paths. What is more common is comparing ourselves to others we view are worse off than ourselves to defend or excuse our heinous behavior. Like, "I may have hate or dislike, but I am not a murderer." All of this focus is on subjective feelings or how we see ourselves and we downplay the objective or standards that may be set up, such as God's expectation for holiness and perfection. Romans 2:14-15 gives the idea that everyone has a conscience or moral compass in place that gives them the idea that they should be better than they are. 

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Romans 3:23

For all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. 

Message: Our Unpayable Debt

What the Lord is Saying: Nobody is perfect and in society standards are set up and when those standards are compromised or broken, then consequences result. For the Christian, the standard is the Glory of God and we believe all have fallen short of meeting that standard. In society, we have set up methods to pay off our debts to the law or breaking the law. Conversely, in religion, many have come up with similar ways through penance, good deeds, sacraments in order to prove oneself worthy. However, finite man pays off finite man, but with God, can finite man pay off an infinite God's standards on his/her own? 

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Jeremiah 3:3

Therefore the showers have been withheld, and there has been no spring rain, yet you had a harlot's forehead; you refused to be ashamed. 

Message: Our Consciences and Our Guilt

What the Lord is Saying: Listening to our conscience is good, but our conscience must also be trained or conform to a certain standard. For the Christian, this standard is God and His word. Only listening to one's conscience may not merit the same results as the standard is fallible and produces guilt for not achieving the standard. 

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Psalm 32

1 How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered!

2 How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit!

3 When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long.

4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah.

5 I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”; and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.

6 Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.

7 You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.

9 Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, Otherwise they will not come near to you.

10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked, But he who trusts in the Lord, lovingkindness shall surround him.

11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.

Message: The Solution of Forgiveness

What the Lord is Saying: Good guilt is when our subjective feelings are being measured against the standards of God. Guilt is released through forgiveness as we turn our focus toward God, confess our mistakes and trust in the Lord's pardon. With God, sin occurs and will continue to occur, but through Christ's payment for our sin, once for all, sin no longer needs a payment or penance. When God forgives He forgives forever. 

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John 8:36

If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed. 

Message: The Reality of Forgiveness

What the Lord is Saying: The feeling of guilt can be burdensome. In feeling guilt, we are moved to repentance, to turn from the act that produces the feeling. Like our subjective feelings and objective state of guilt there is also subjective feelings of forgiveness. Objectively, the promise of God is He will forgive everyone who repents and trusts in Jesus alone for salvation (John 3:16). And yet still people don't feel forgiven, sometimes not believing that God really will forgive their brand of sin. But being forgiven is not based upon a feeling of forgiveness. If you have repented, then believe that God has forgiven you. 

Summary: In washing the feet of His disciples, Jesus made it clear that those who follow Him need both the definitive cleansing from guilt they receive when they first exercise faith as well as continual forgiveness for any sins they commit thereafter (John 13:1–20). This story gives us an opportunity to reflect more on what the Bible says about the guilt of sin and the forgiveness we find only in Christ. 

I have often made the comment that "feelings are not facts." People are naturally moved by their own feelings and emotions. In our present day, these feelings seem to be winning how life is being defined in a person and are being seen as facts in a person's life. The Christian is addressing this in his/her contacts with people to help people see that we need to use the golden rod of Scripture to define the standard to which we should be measuring ourselves against. But this is a standard that is often seen as backwards and not current to the way of life presently. Instead, people continue to validate a person's subjective feelings. The Christian believes it is God who has authored in us a conscience, giving each of us the tension between right and wrong and so we are to look to Him to help us define what is right or wrong. 

My Utmost for His Highest - June 2nd - What Are You Haunted By?

What man is he that feareth the Lord? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. - Psalm 25:12

    What are you haunted by? You will say--By nothing, but we are all haunted by something, generally by ourselves, or if are Christians, by our experience. The Psalmist says we are to be haunted by God. The abiding consciousness of the life is to be God, not thinking about Him. The whole of our life inside and out is to be absolutely haunted by the presence of God. A child's consciousness is so mother-haunted that although the child is not consciously thinking of his mother, yet when calamity arises, the relationship that abides is that of the mother. So we are to live and move and have our being in God (see Acts 17:28), to look at everything in relation to God, because the abiding consciousness of God pushes itself to the front all the time. 

    If we are haunted by God, nothing else can get in, no cares, no tribulation, no anxieties. We see now why Our Lord so emphasized the sin of worry. How can we dare be so utterly unbelieving when God is round about us? To be haunted by God is to have an effective barricade against all the onslaughts of the enemy. 

    "His soul shall dwell at ease. (Psalm 25:13)" In tribulation, misunderstanding, slander, in the midst of all these things, if our life is hid with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3), He will keep us at ease. We rob ourselves of the marvelous revelation of this abiding companionship of God. "God is our Refuge (Psalm 46:1)"--nothing can come through that shelter. 

- From Oswald Chambers, "My Utmost for His Highest" - Classic Edition

Highlights and Underlines are courtesy of Mom from her print edition

My thoughts

The modern edition changes the word "haunted" to "obsessed." It seems like that changes the meaning and yet, haunted is a tough word to figure out. The dictionary says that "haunted" is showing signs of mental anguish or torment. It seems to be speaking of a power that overcomes a person. And then also today is "consciousness" which is changed to "awareness." That seems to be more in line with the idea. Yet, he speaks of a close relationship between a child to his mother. In that relationship it seems he is saying that the child may experience a difficulty and because there is so an intense closeness with his mother, the child immediately goes to mother. I saw this in our family with our children. Mom was the first name called in most situations, almost like it was unconscious. And so this is the relationship we as Christians are to have with God and to that end, the idea of "haunted" starts to make more sense. It speaks of this special connection or dependence the Christian has with God. And if that is occurring then worry really has no place in the life of the Christian. And that makes sense. When we are hid with Christ in God we are at ease. Thus, the word "haunted" seems to work better for it is a sort of antithesis of what we think with that word; a good "haunted." 

Romans 7:7-13 - The Law's Revelation of Sin

Romans 7:7-13

7 What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead. 9 I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died; 10 and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; 11 for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. 12 So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

13 Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful.

Message: The Law's Revelation of Sin

Time: Paul wrote to Rome, a city he had never visited, from the Greek city of Corinth in AD 57. He writes to a church that he believes needed to hear basic gospel doctrine. The city was a hotbed of sexual immorality and idolatry. 

What the Lord is Saying:

Civil law is the law of the land for all people. Due to the threat of punishment, the Law restrains sin in people's lives. This law, either the one we read about in the Old Testament or the one on men's consciences (Romans 2:14-15), our actions are in check. However, the Law also shows us what is right and wrong and because we have a depraved human heart, we are ignited through the Law to sin or act in rebellion from it. 

What Paul speaks of, as is shown in today's passage, is the Law makes people more desirous of that which is sinful. He gives the perspective that all sin is coveting or wanting something that belongs to another - we want God's control so we try to take it and take matters into our hands. We want what our neighbor has or what another person has. Woman has been made for man and yet in pornography is this idea that a woman is made for any man. Women are not an object for anyone to take pleasure in -- when the commandment came, sin became alive..." 

What occurs in the law is the recognition that a person's sin is a lot more grievous than originally thought. People know they tell lies, but the law states, "Thou Shall Not Lie." It does not provide exceptions and yet within man is this feeling of justifiable lying but the Law gives the idea that all lies are wrong. Inside of man is this balancing act regarding sin and comparison regarding sin that makes everyone think their sin is not that big of a deal. Yet God's law exposes sin for always being wrong and that perfection or complete obedience is the standard. Here is a list of sins that amazes me. It exposes me. And I struggle looking at it. I'd much rather not look at it. I'd much rather go about my day exposing myself to it. I think this is where I struggle with the Bible and people struggle with the Bible is they do not want to be found out. They do not want to be exposed and told they are guilty. And so they don't read this book, they avoid church gatherings and yet I find even in church we tend to focus more on positive feelings than recognizing and speaking of sin. If we speak of sin, it is about other people. 

Promise: But the gospel must always be preached alongside the exposition of sin. Otherwise, despair will set in. In the gospel resides always the good news that God provides righteousness to make us always accepted and appear to be holy before Him. 

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for exposing me and showing me the seriousness of my sin. I admit Lord, I rebel against this. I would much rather stay focused on that which brings me pleasure than to look at the mirror and see where I have sinned. Forgive me for offending you daily and taking matters in my own hands. I do want control and want to always think my actions are not that bad. Help me to remember sin and your expectations. And than you Jesus for saving me and finishing off sin for me on the cross so that I can walk in new life. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of July is about the right use of God's Law; June was justification by faith alone; May about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God.

The Restraint of the Law - the law is given for lawless, unholy, disobedient people, to restrain us from acting on our sinful thoughts. Restraint and Guilt - the law is meant to restrain Christians and non-Christians alike; so that others may see Christ. 

My Utmost for His Highest - May 18th - Careful Unreasonableness

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? - Matthew 6:26, 28

    Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow, they simply are! Think of the sea, the air, the sun, the stars and the moon--all these are, and what a ministration they exert. So often we mar God's designed influence through us by our self-conscious effort to be consistent and useful. Jesus says that there is only one way to develop spiritually, and that is by concentration on God. "Do not bother about being of use to others; believe on Me (John 7:38)"--pay attention to the Source, and out of you will flow rivers of living water. We cannot get at the springs of our natural life by common sense, and Jesus is teaching that growth in spiritual life does not depend on our watching it, but on concentration on our Father in heaven. Our heavenly Father knows the circumstance we are in, and if we keep concentrated on Him we will grow spiritually as the lilies.

 
    The people who influence us most are not those who buttonhole us and talk to us, but those who live their lives like the stars in heaven and the lilies in the field, perfectly simply and unaffectedly. Those are the lives that mould us.

    If you want to be of use to God, get rightly related to Jesus Christ and He will make you of use unconsciously every minute you live.

- From Oswald Chambers, "My Utmost for His Highest" - Classic Edition

Highlights and Underlines are courtesy of Mom from her print edition.

My thoughts

To develop spiritually, we concentrate on God, not on our growth per se, but on Him and like the lilies of the field and the stars in the sky, we will exert Him as we focus on the Source. If we do this, unconsciously we will be in right relation to Him and be of use to Him. 

My Utmost for His Highest - May 13th - The Habit of a Good Conscience

And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void to offence toward God, and toward men. - Acts 24:16

    God's commands are given to the life of His Son in us, consequently to the human nature in which His Son has been formed (see Galatians 4:19), His commands are difficult, but immediately we obey they become divinely easy.

    Conscience is that faculty in me which attaches itself to the highest that I know, and tells me what the highest I know demands that I do. It is the eye of the soul which looks out either towards God or towards what it regards as the highest, and therefore conscience records differently in different people. If I am in the habit of steadily facing myself with God, my conscience will always introduce God's perfect law and indicate what I should do. The point is, will I obey? I have to make an effort to keep my conscience so sensitive that I walk without offence. I should be living in such perfect sympathy with God's Son, that in every circumstance the spirit of my mind is renewed, and I "make out" at once "what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2, see also Ephesians 4:23)"

    God always educates us down to the scruple. Is my ear so keen to hear the tiniest whisper of the Spirit that I know what I should do? "Grieve not the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 4:30)" He does not come with a voice like thunder; His voice is so gentle that it is easy to ignore it. The one thing that keeps the conscience sensitive to Him is the continual habit of being open to God on the inside. When there is any debate, quit. "Why shouldn't I do this?" You are on the wrong track. There is no debate possible when conscience speaks. At your peril, you allow one thing to obscure your inner communion with God. Drop it, whatever it is, and see that you keep your inner vision clear.

- From Oswald Chambers, "My Utmost for His Highest" - Classic Edition

Highlights and Underlines are courtesy of Mom from her print edition.

My Thoughts

Six times is the word conscience mentioned today. 'Conscience records differently in different people' is a compelling statement to me that reminds me that I need to be sensitive to others and how God is directing them. God will speak to me, and each moment I need to be sensitive to Him because His volume may not be turned up. Let the Spirit of God renew in me daily my mind. This is a daily practice and just like any relationship I have, practicing this brings me more into that relationship and the practice of obedience of His commands becomes easier. 

John 4:1-45 - Jesus Meets A Samaritan Woman

John 4:1-45

Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were), He left Judea and went away again into Galilee. And He had to pass through Samaria. So He came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph; and Jacob’s well was there. So Jesus, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 

There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Therefore the Samaritan woman said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” She said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water? You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?” Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw.” He said to her, “Go, call your husband and come here.” The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly.”  The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”

At this point His disciples came, and they were amazed that He had been speaking with a woman, yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why do You speak with her?” So the woman left her waterpot, and went into the city and said to the men, “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?” They went out of the city, and were coming to Him.

Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this case the saying is true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored and you have entered into their labor.”

From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all the things that I have done.” So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. Many more believed because of His word; and they were saying to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.”

After the two days He went forth from there into Galilee. For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things that He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves also went to the feast.

Message: Jesus Meets a Samaritan Woman

Time: John is not recorded as the author, but unanimous testimony of early Christians, like Iraneus in the 2nd century declare him the author. Plus, the eyewitness account give rise that he was one of the close knit disciples and Peter already penned through Mark (the Gospel of Mark), and James died soon after the resurrection, which leaves John. It is thought this book was written between 85 and 95 AD. The Deity of Christ is a striking quality of John's gospel.

What the Lord is Saying: 

Well, I made this entry long by referencing the entire text from this lesson and yet, it is good to see the complete story of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman. When Jesus greeted her she knew that it was unusual, him being a Jew, her a Samaritan. It seems like Jesus' first response to her about 'a drink' is that the differences between Samaritans and Jews does not matter when Jesus is offering living water or eternal life. Too much of life right now is us/them and taking sides. It is election time so those sides are more prevalent. Yet, at the same time is a message of 'together' as we walk through this pandemic. So that is one point that I see in this lesson - no divisions when talking about receiving Jesus. 

I also see Jesus saying that drinking of the water from the well will always mean that we remain thirsty and need to drink again. But, when we drink the Living Water, provided by Jesus, we are complete and have everything we need. It reminds me of the prevalence of vices like alcohol, smoking pot, or popping a pill or even eating, drinking, or taking prescription drugs -- all are a reminder of things we never stop needing or feeling like we need, some give us temporary highs and some are needed to sustain life, but no matter what they are fleeting, but Jesus and His love is full and complete. 

I have been studying through Genesis a little with BSF and noticed that God always drew out people's recognition of their sin in their life by asking questions. Jesus does this here when speaking about the many husbands that this woman has had after she has stated she has no husband. It is a reminder that Jesus knows our sins and the Holy Spirit draws that sin out in our lives with our conscience speaking to us. 

I also see Jesus talking about doing the Will of the Father and how it provides to us nourishment like nothing else. 

And once we encounter Jesus, like this woman does, we cannot help but tell others about Him. 

Promise: Jesus changes everything. In this lesson is many lessons, but notable to me is we are all the same in our need for God as Jesus provides us eternal life, water that is complete. And Jesus knows our sin and yet Loves us still. 

Prayer: Thank you Jesus for seeing me and knowing me, forgiving me and loving me. There is abundant life in You. Life is complete with you and I praise You for this. Thank you for changing the way we think and helping us see that You Lord penetrate our lives like nothing else. Thank you for the peace that you bring and for saving me. Thank you for this day in which I have the honor of baptizing my oldest son Tyson. Thank you for loving him and choosing him as Yours and the joy that he is in our lives and the lives of others. 

Mark 6:17-19a - Confronting Public Sins

Mark 6:17-19a
¹⁷ For Herod himself had sent and had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because he had married her. ¹⁸ For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” ¹⁹ Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. 

Message: Confronting Public Sins


Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying:

Preface - Jesus arrives in Nazareth, about a 3 day journey from Capernaum. He has made it to his hometown and he speaks in the synagogue. Many of his people did not accept him; he continued to heal, but maybe not to the extent that he could because of their unbelief. The message still goes out. Jesus commissions his disciples with the message of repentance. Many hear of Jesus and his message, wondering where he came from and who He really is: prophet, priest, king. Included in this wondering is Herod Antipas, who killed John the Baptist.

Herod and his family are known for their cruelty. Near the time of Jesus' birth, Herod had all boys age two and younger in Bethlehem murdered. His son, Herod Antipas, married an Arabian princess, then divorced her to marry Herodias, who was married to Antipas brother, Philip. Herodias was Herod Antipas niece. Herodias left Philip for Antipas in hopes of social advancement. Old Testament law forbid this.

In today's passage is the record that John the Baptist made it known that this was wrong. Faithfulness to the Word of God was key. And John the Baptist took a stand against sins of society and it cost him. For Herod himself had sent and had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias. At this time, it was wrong to speak out against the rulers of the kingdom. That was a crime that could put a person in prison and for John that happened. For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

Today, I think the sins of society are so plentiful that while Christians call out sins they very often have to deal with the same sins within Christendom as well. Yet, do we not still have a responsibility to divide the truth and call out sin or do we often revert too quickly to subtle toleration by the words: "don't judge." Another problem I see is sins are so abundant in society. Blasphemy, adultery, idolatry, coveting, lying, slander, sabbath keeping and thievery are some examples of sins that have become socially acceptable that to confront these sins would be a full-time job. 

And yet, isn't it the obligation of the Christian to defend truth by exposing the lies that are being put forth? I believe, however, that we as Christians, because of our quest always for personal safety and preserving comfort, end up not confronting these sins and instead choose to focus on other truths of the Word like loving one another in hopes that the Gospel itself would change people. 

People hate to be confronted with their sin. We will often defend our actions with excuses or point the finger at others, repeating the sin of Eve - the devil made me do it. Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. For Herodias this turned into not simply having John the Baptist in prison, but wanting him put to death. her sin of greed and power, which I'm sure she was justified, resulted in changing husbands and she was not about to have that questioned. Thus, John is martyred for his faith. 

Summary -  The message of the Gospel, while good news to many that understand they are sinners and see the need to repent, for others who believe their sin is justified and therefore, not sin at all, do not want to be told the opposite. But, Christians still have an obligation to call out sin in others, as John the Baptist did and Herod Antipas and his wife took offense of this.

Promise: Christians and the church are to preach against the sins of the state and call both leaders and citizens to repentance. Keep preaching repentance.  

Prayer: Lord, while I want to be a man of the Word, I admit I get caught up in comfort and safety and preserving my livelihood. Forgive me for my selfishness and the way in which I do not defend truth but defend personal safety. Give me wisdom in this day about being true to Truth. I'm too caught up on comfort. I'm too caught up on self-preservation. Lord, give me strength and help me understand what I need to do about confronting the sins of our culture. I do want to follow you Lord in all of the correct ways. Giving you glory, I want this to be my greatest goal.

Romans 13:5 - Submission for Conscience's Sake

Romans 13:5 - Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience.

Message: Be in subjection

Time: Written in AD 57 from Greece, to the Christians, both Gentile and Jewish in Rome

What the Lord is Saying:

It is clear from these verses the government has a purpose and God set up government because at the moment man sinned people would need to be restrained and protected. And when his people get out of line punishment would be necessary. And as we talked about yesterday, the government are God's representatives to avenge wrongdoers. But it must be clear that as I look at these verses, my thinking should not simply be how other people are supposed to be. I am not pointing the finger at the government, wanting them to get their act together. But I am to look at myself as a citizen and how I am supposed to respond in a world that is set up with governments. The tendency often in reading anything, any sort of instruction, it to determine how that reading affects others. We are quick to self justify and we are also quick to point the finger as we often say, "the problem is not with me, but the problem is with other people." This is often our outcry: "if other people would just get their act together, then all would be fine and dandy." 

But in verse five Paul reminds us of our personal responsibility. Verse one told us that "there is no authority except from God and those which exist are established by God." In verse 2, a "resistance to authority" means then we have resisted God. Paul says in this book that "there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" and yet by resisting authority we receive condemnation ourselves. If we do good we should have nothing to fear. But if we do evil we should not be surprised at the wrath that comes from it.

And now in verse five, because of this, because of what God has established we are to be in subjection to it. This is it, first and foremost submission is to happen because God has established it. Yet, Paul reminds us that people are not just motivated because of God's authority. In verse five, Paul reminds us that we are in subjection also because of the wrath upon the individual when they do not practice what is good but instead practice evil. Bad things will happen when we disobey the law. Law disobedience often results in fines where our money that is earned is now to be paid to the government. Our job is to protect our family and to glorify God but we can't do this if we were stuck in the cell serving a sentence. And then Paul also concludes that we are to be in subjection to our authority because our conscience move us in this direction.

Man has been given a conscience. This confidence comes from God as we saw in Romans two verse 15, "their conscience bearing witness and thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them."

So again in these verses God tells us that we are to be obedient to the law because God institutes it, God chooses the penalty or the wrath that comes from being disobedient but also he has given us a conscience to know right and wrong. Is not this conscience amazing? It is tragic to see people that do not ascribe this to God but rather somehow our own personal faculties just developed this conscience or that it is through trial and error. Again, as it says in Romans one verse 25, "they exchange the truth of God for a lie." This is why I like the law and grace method of evangelism because it appeals to the conscience.

Promise: Doing good for any reason is better than doing evil, but the Lord does not find our doing good pleasing unless we are doing it for the right reasons.

Jesus Calling: May 12

     Learn to relate to others through My Love rather than yours. Your human love is ever so limited, full of flaws and manipulation. My loving Presence, which always enfolds you, is available to bless others as well as you. Instead of trying harder to help people through your own paltry supplies, become aware of My unlimited supply, which is accessible to you continually. Let My Love envelop your outreach to other people.
     Many of My precious children have fallen prey to burnout. A better description of their condition might be "drainout." Countless interactions with needy people have drained them, without their conscious awareness. You are among these weary ones, who are like wounded soldiers needing R&R. Take time to rest in the Love-Light of My Presence. I will gradually restore to you the energy that you have lost over the years. Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and you will find rest for your souls.

Exodus 33:14
English Standard Version

And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Verse Thoughts - In the original manuscript the phrase with you is not present, so literally this is my presence will go up. Verse 14 is a response to Moses praying in verses 12, Bring up this people. Thus, God is saying He will literally be there, His presence. And this presence means His people have rest, both today and tomorrow and always. 

Matthew 11:28-29 
English Standard Version

²⁸ Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Verse Thoughts - The idea here is that God provides a rest that no one else can, but here specifically, the context is the Jewish Christians were feeling a heavy burden from the works and toils that the Pharisees and scribes expected them to do. 

My Prayer -  
Lord, the world naturally places many demands on us. Our jobs, each day our lives, where we live, what we do - there is always something to do. Granted, sin resulted in this toil that sometimes has little dividend. Lord, you give us the promise that you will give us rest. I am reminded of the Sabbath day promise you have given us, which means we can rest and you will take care of our burdens. You are there Lord. Thank you for your presence. Thank you for being near.

Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author. 

Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.

Romans 9:1-3 - Paul's Love for his Kinsmen

Romans 9:1-3 1 I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh,

Message: Paul's Love for the Jews, his kinsmen

Time: Romulus founded ancient Rome about 753 BC. By 600 BC it had become a wealthy, flourishing city with a monarch. Around 500 BC, the monarch was overthrown. A republic resulted and after war, Rome became the only great power in the Mediterranean, succeeding the empire of Alexander the Great. Before and after the birth of Christ, Rome's dominion continued to expand to about two thirds the size of the continental US. At the time Paul wrote, Rome had a population of about 1,000,000. Most were slaves. It was a vast empire, but had many religions present. It is unknown how the church started in Rome, but Gentiles and Jews both were involved. Paul was writing to address a problem, but he wanted to be there and perhaps, make Rome his base for his missionary journey's

What the Lord is Saying:

Chapter 9, ball most definitely turns a corner and begins to express to the Jews, who he is primarily writing, God's righteousness. He wants to be clear and be honest. He even starts with a threefold expression of honesty in verse 1: I am telling the truth; I am not lying; my conscience testifies.  It is interesting that he ended chapter 8 with the relational part of sanctification, the encouragement that throughout all of life's struggles the love of God, because of our union in Christ, God is always there. He has given promises to these Christians that God will always be there and now in these verses he expresses the great sorrow and compassion that he has for them and what they are undoubtedly experiencing.

He has sorrow for the nation of Israel, God's chosen people. He understands them better than others, but he also sees that they are not embracing God as their Savior and Lord. 

In verse three he states a heartfelt burden for these people by expressing that he could wish that he was not in Christ...and they were instead. This is his great love for them. I remember chapter 1 when Paul stated that he was under obligation both to the wise and the foolish.

If there is one thing that Paul has is a burden or great desire to not only preach the gospel, but to see lives changed. Chapter 1 expresses this and starts the message that this is his number one goal in writing. He wants to see lives changed. And his love for people is so great, he'd rather see his life separated from God that to see them not know God.

Promise: July 7, 2014 Tabletalk, "Paul's love for the Jews models the love of Christ for us, in that He was willing to be rejected Himself so that His people could be saved. "

Romans 2:14-16 - The Work of the Law on the Heart

Romans 2:14-16 - 14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, 16 on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.

Message: Everyone has a law written on their hearts. Everyone.

Time: Romans was probably written during Paul’s third missionary journey from Corinth to a Jewish/Gentile church in Rome (around 56-57 AD).

What the Lord is Saying:

Verses 14-16 are a clarification of verse 12. Here is a further clarification of the light or the standard that the Gentile has received. The Gentile can't say that they are not accountable to God because they are not the chosen people and therefore did not receive the Law. The amazing thing about God's law is that it is in written on our hearts.

When I speak to people, using the 10 commandments, it is amazing that in talking about lying, stealing, adultery, murder, or disobeying parents, these are all things that people realize they should not be doing. Thus, the Law is written on their hearts. No one has to tell them that lying is bad or stealing is wrong.

The Unheard
Verse 15 also reminds me of the answer to the question that I often hear and that is, "What about the person that has never heard of Christ?" Well, it is clear here that all people have a standard inside. The Jews were given the Law and are clearly accountable to it, but all other men have a written law on their hearts, their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them and so they are accountable to the law in their hearts.

And so, in my thinking, just as in Romans 1:20, everyone knows that there is a God based upon the testimony of creation, man should always know there is something greater than himself. Could salvation be for someone that hasn't ever heard of Christ the simple recognition that there is something beyond themselves? That they are accountable to their own law and yet there is still something above them.

Coveting and the secrets of men
The last commandment or the sin of coveting is one that has always stood out to me and in verse 15 and 16, it is mentioned. It reminds me that my thoughts are acting as judge and jury often when I consider what to do. And ultimately, God's judgment will fall on my secrets.

This is really a major thought that man really can't comprehend. The scripture is clear that it isn't just what comes out of a man in their actions that is a problem, but it is what is on the inside that sometimes never comes out. Just because I would never say what I'm thinking or do what I'm thinking doesn't mean I am not accountable for what I am thinking. 

The Changing World
One of the biggest problems I see as time goes by is the standards of scripture are no longer accepted in the world as standards. 100 years ago, stealing and lying were also judged in life, but now they are not held in the same level of wrongness. They are excused. When we don't spend our time training ourselves by the Word of God, then we get trained by the world and the world's standards are becoming more blurry. 

Promise: It is a great promise that the standards man are consistent for everyone, the Gentile, the Jew, the religious, the non-religious, those aware of the Law and God, those that don't. Everyone is accountable for the Law is written on their hearts.