Philippians 2:1-4 - Fulfilled Joy - Unity and Humility

Philippians 2:1-4

1 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Message: Fulfilled Joy - Unity and Humility 

Time: AD 62. One of the 4 prison epistles. 

What the Lord is Saying: This was the sermon yesterday (1/19/2025) at Hoffmantown Church by Lamar Morin. Great message and text. The idea of this text is one of my favorite ideas (do nothing from selfishness) and yet one I know that is hard to practice. As I have been doing I started by looking at each verse and doing a one line summary of the text. 

1 - Encouragement (in Christ), Consolation (of love), (spirit of) Fellowship, Affection, Compassion

2 - Make my joy complete - same mind, same love, united, one purpose

3 - Nothing selfish - regard one another more important

4 - Look out for interests of others

Be of the same mind - Make others more important

Disclaimer: We are not to think poorly of ourselves. This text is not saying that we are to think that we are to hate ourselves. We need confidence in who we are. 

This passage stems from Philippians 1:27, "conduct yourselves worthy of the gospel of Christ." In verse 1, we are encouraged why? Because we are in Christ. These are the words to the church in Philippi. It starts with the Gospel. This is what it is to be a Christian - to be one in Christ. 

Then there is my response - Consolation or comforting one another in love. As the body of Christ, we are to comfort one another. 

And there is joy by being of the same mind. I love this idea of same mind or unity. There are things that don't matter or that we will disagree on - like politics, money, jobs, free time, color of carpet, chairs or pews, hymns or worship songs, frequency of Lord's Supper (sacrament), practice of discipleship and evangelism, Sunday school or home groups. The disagreements are many and varied. But we still must remain in unity and be of the same mind of what it means to be in Christ. We can disagree but not on Truth. We are united and intent on one purpose - to Glorify God and make Him known. 

Once I am in Christ, my focus is on others. I am to be an ambassador in sharing truth. And I am to always place other people's interests above my own. I immediately think here of taking time to share the gospel with others, to invest in other people's lives rather than serving my own needs for entertainment and rest. 

And I think about my relationship with my spouse, my wife Pamela. I am to love her and place her interests above mine. That is so hard to do and practice, I admit. 

Summary: In Christ, we are to think of others, have unity and through this our needs will be met. 

Prayer: O Father, I need your help each day to show your love to others. I desire to be a person that encourages unity. Thank you for differences. Thank you for my faith and being in Christ. Help me to make sense each day of not doing anything from selfishness or empty conceit but to be humble. Help me to not out for my own interests, but the interests of others. 

John 18:10-11 - Peter's Misguided Zeal

John 18:10-11

10 Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave’s name was Malchus. 11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?”

Message: Peter's Misguided Zeal

Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)." 

What the Lord is Saying: Jesus heads to a garden and Judas leads Roman/Jewish officials to Jesus in the garden, then they fall down to the ground and Jesus surrenders to be arrested. Yet, now in verse 10, Peter seems bothered that this has occurred. Peter strikes one of the high priest officials slave with his sword, cutting off his right ear. The slave's name is identified here as Malchus. But Jesus tells Peter to put the sword back into its sheath, remarking that the cup (God's wrath toward sin and Jesus atoning for sin through a blood sacrifice) is to be taken - as the Father is giving it to Jesus to receive and drink. 

Peter is trying to defend Jesus here on the Mount of Olives as he is being arrested. 

Psalm 75:8 - For a cup is in the hand of the Lord, and the wine foams; it is well mixed, and He pours out of this; Surely all the wicked of the earth must drain and drink down its dregs. -- all the wickedness of the earth comes forth from the cup. 

Ezekiel 23:31-34 - 31 You have walked in the way of your sister; therefore I will give her cup into your hand.’ 32 Thus says the Lord God, ‘You will drink your sister’s cup, which is deep and wide. You will be laughed at and held in derision; it contains much. 33 ‘You will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow,

the cup of horror and desolation, the cup of your sister Samaria. 34 ‘You will drink it and drain it. Then you will gnaw its fragments and tear your breasts." - The cup is deep and wide and filled with much. It is a cup filled with contents that make people mad. 

Revelation 14:9-11 - 9 Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” - There is nothing worse than the wrath of God. 

Jesus understands that He is submitting and surrendering through His arrest to experience the wrath of God, in all that it encompasses. 

Peter thought he was doing good, acting in an admirable way possibly, but Jesus knew his arrest was needed. Peter was short-sighted and didn't know the whole picture, only what was in front of him at that moment and at that moment, his master was being taken away and despite all that Jesus had been talking to him about and explaining in His farewell discourse He still was being affected by the events in front of him and did not want to see Jesus leave. 

Summary: Peter thinks he is coming to Jesus' rescue, though most likely outnumbered, in pulling out his dagger to cut off a high priest's servants ear, but Jesus tells him to back down, as He is to drink the Cup (of wrath) the Father has for him. 

Promise: From Tabletalk, "Let us be humble, remembering that we are likewise capable of rash actions that do not serve the gospel."

Prayer: Lord, what a privilege it is each day to grow in my relationship with You because I know each day how prone I am to go a different direction. I struggle Lord daily to seek my own will and think that my life is meant to serve myself. I thank you for the time to reflect on You and all that You have for me. Help me to have my day defined by You and then to know how you are leading me. I feel at times that You speak to me in so many ways. And yet I am not sure that my focus is securely on You, but I thank You that Your spirit is at work in me, speaking to Me and giving me strength and direction each day. Guard my steps. Help me to follow Your guidance so that I find wisdom to serve You in every situation. Keep me humble as I am often not serving You or have that tendency each day. Keep me productive. Keep me doing what I should be doing. As Peter might have been misguided in his approach with you thinking that He was doing good, keep me focused on the big picture and remembering the words You have said to me. I praise You God. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

My Utmost for His Highest - June 21 - The Ministry of the Interior

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; - I Peter 2:9

    By what right do we become “a royal priesthood”? By the right of the Atonement. Are we prepared to leave ourselves resolutely alone and to launch out into the priestly work of prayer? The continual grubbing on the inside to see whether we are what we ought to be generates a self-centred, morbid type of Christianity, not the robust, simple life of the child of God. Until we get into a right relationship to God, it is a case of hanging on by the skin of our teeth, and we say — “What a wonderful victory I have got!” There is nothing indicative of the miracle of Redemption in that. Launch out in reckless belief that the Redemption is complete, and then bother no more about yourself, but begin to do as Jesus Christ said — pray for the friend who comes to you at midnight, pray for the saints, pray for all men. Pray on the realisation that you are only perfect in Christ Jesus, not on this plea — “O Lord, I have done my best, please hear me.”

    How long is it going to take God to free us from the morbid habit of thinking about ourselves? We must get sick unto death of ourselves, until there is no longer any surprise at anything God can tell us about ourselves. We cannot touch the depths of meanness in ourselves. There is only one place where we are right, and that is in Christ Jesus. When we are there, then we have to pour out for all we are worth in this ministry of the interior.

My Notes

Multiple thoughts here. How is it that I am chosen and a royal priesthood? Definitely because of anything in me so never think about myself as doing that work. I am only right in Christ Jesus. Ministry starts from the interior. This is where prayer starts. And this is what our lives are to be about - listening to the Holy Spirit speak to us and tell us who we are to be praying for. 

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

Highlights and Underlines are courtesy of Mom from her print edition

My Utmost for His Highest - May 3rd - Vital Intercession

With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, - Ephesians 6:18

    As we go on in intercession we may find that our obedience to God is going to cost other people more than we thought. The danger this is to begin to intercede in sympathy with those whom God was gradually lifting to a totally different sphere in answer to our prayers. Whenever we step back from identification with God's interest in others into sympathy with them, the vital connection with God has gone, we have put our sympathy, our consideration for them in the way, and this is a deliberate rebuke to God.
    

    It is impossible to intercede vitally unless we are perfectly sure of God, and the greatest dissipater of our relationship to God is personal sympathy and personal prejudice. Identification is the key to intercession, and whenever we stop being identified with God, it is by sympathy, not by sin. It is not likely that sin will interfere with our relationship to God, but sympathy will, sympathy with ourselves or with others which makes us say--"I will not allow that thing to happen." Instantly we are out of vital connection with God.

    Intercession leaves you neither time nor inclination to pray for your own "sad sweet self." The thought of yourself is not kept out, because it is not there to keep out; you are completely and entirely identified with God's interest in other lives.

    Discernment is God's call to intercession, never to fault finding.

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

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

My thoughts

Chambers has these words that he uses repeatedly in these devotions. Today's words are sympathy (7) and a form of intercession (6). He makes the point here that we are to be about intercession for others in our prayers and not praying for ourselves because others will take care of this. We can do this because we are sure of God and the way He will work in others to pray for me. And there is this idea that the greatest waste or dissipater of our relationship to God is being too focused on self and personal sympathy. 

My Utmost for His Highest - December 2 - Christian Persecution

Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect… PHILIPPIANS 3:12

It is a snare to imagine that God wants to make us perfect specimens of what He can do; God’s purpose is to make us one with Himself. The emphasis of holiness movements is apt to be that God is producing specimens of holiness to put in His museum. If you go off on this idea of personal holiness, the dead-set of your life will not be for God, but for what you call the manifestation of God in your life. “It can never be God’s will that I should be sick,” you say. If it was God’s will to bruise His own Son, why should He not bruise you? The thing that tells for God is not your relevant consistency to an idea of what a saint should be, but your real vital relation to Jesus Christ, and your abandonment to Him whether you are well or ill.

Christian perfection is not, and never can be, human perfection. Christian perfection is the perfection of a relationship to God which shows itself amid the irrelevancies of human life. When you obey the call of Jesus Christ, the first thing that strikes you is the irrelevancy of the things you have to do, and the next thing that strikes you is the fact that other people seem to be living perfectly consistent lives. Such lives are apt to leave you with the idea that God is unnecessary, by human effort and devotion we can reach the standard God wants. In a fallen world this can never be done. I am called to live in perfect relation to God so that my life produces a longing after God in other lives, not admiration for myself. Thoughts about myself hinder my usefulness to God. God is not after perfecting me to be a specimen in His show-room; He is getting me to the place where He can use me. Let Him do what He likes. From My Utmost for His Highest Classic Edition

My mom provided the highlights and underlines

My Thoughts

• My ambition is to be One with God, not to be perfect
• We get too caught up in our circumstances and this includes being sick. If it was God's will to bruise His own Son, why should He not bruise me? 

My Utmost for His Highest - October 17 - Greater Works

"and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father." - John 14:12

Prayer does not fit us for the greater works; prayer is the greater work. We think of prayer as a common-sense exercise of our higher powers in order to prepare us for God's work. In the teaching of Jesus Christ prayer is the working of the miracle of Redemption in me which produces the miracle of Redemption in others by the power of God. The way fruit remains is by prayer, but remember it is prayer based on the agony of Redemption, not on my agony. Only a child gets prayer answered; a wise man does not. 

Prayer is the battle; it is a matter of indifference where you are. Whichever way God engineers circumstances, the duty is to pray. Never allow the thought--"I am of no use where I am;" because you certainly can be of no use where you are not. Wherever God has dumped you down in circumstances pray, ejaculate to Him all the time. "Whatsoever ye ask in My name, that will I do (John 14:13)." We won't pray unless we get thrills, that is the intensest form of spiritual selfishness. We have to labor along the line of God's direction, and He says pray. "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth laborers into His harvest (Matthew 9:38)." 

There is nothing thrilling about a laboring man's work, but it is the laboring man who makes the conceptions of the genius possible; and it is the laboring saint who makes the conceptions of his Master possible. You labor at prayer and results happen all the time from His standpoint. What an astonishment it will be to find, when the veil is lifted, the souls that have been reaped by you, simply because you had been in the habit of taking your orders from Jesus Christ. 

Proverbs 7:21-27 - The Gatekeeper of Death

Proverbs 7:21-27
With her many persuasions she entices him; with her flattering lips she seduces him.
Suddenly he follows her as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as fetters to the discipline of a fool,
Until an arrow pierces through his liver; as a bird hastens to the snare, so he does not know that it his life.

Now therefore, sons, listen to me, and pay attention to the words of my mouth.
Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways, do not stray into her paths.
For many are the victims she has cast down, and numerous are all her slain.
Her house is the way to Sheol, descending to the chambers of death.

Message:  The Gatekeeper of Death

Time: King Solomon is the principal writer of Proverbs. Solomon's proverbs were penned around 900 B.C. In the Book of Proverbs, Solomon reveals the mind of God in matters high and lofty and in common, ordinary, everyday situations, too. It appears that no topic escaped King Solomon's attention. Matters pertaining to personal conduct, sexual relations, business, wealth, charity, ambition, discipline, debt, child-rearing, character, alcohol, politics, revenge, and godliness are among the many topics covered in this rich collection of wise sayings.

What the Lord is Saying: 

Background
For me, the crux of the first 20 verses of Proverbs 7 is the pleading from a father to his son to treasure the commandments that he is passing along. Treasure the words of the sage, of the Father God. Stay close to them. Adhere to  them in your life, for only then will you be able to withstand the temptations that will be present in this life. And temptations will be many. But, the sexual temptations, or the carrying away of ourselves to abandon our principles will be the strongest. We can't even give them a moment. The door opens when we allow ourselves to be in a dangerous environment. For the young boy, it is walking down the road of the adulteress, where she lives. There are other ways to get to our destination, so we should not even go there. 

The Problem
These remaining verses catapult the encounter and we get to witness first hand what is in store for the person that gets pulled away. I must admit, as a man, these verses resonate with me because I am pulled away too easily, it would seem. The clothing manufacturers have continued to make clothing that simply show off too much of a woman. I struggle with my eyes and it is a struggle when people are bending over in front of you or wearing short dresses. I'm captivated by my wife, but would prefer it in the privacy of my own home. It's really a horrible thing for the man to live with for it is everywhere. And the phone makes it worse. It is too easily accessible. Thus, the title of this message: the gatekeeper of death.

Studying this passage
Verse 21 begins "with her many persuasions." Again, these to me are not just verbal, but they are visual persuasions. They could be a glance, an alluring look, but most likely they are the way a person carries oneself. 'Many persuasions' also speaks to the many different ways we are confronted with this. The temptation now shows itself in so many different ways. But also in these verses is the inference that the person is reluctant because "she entices" and "she seduces." Thus, even in these verses, one could apply I Corinthians 10:13 in that there is a way out when the temptation presents itself.

And then the striking words of verse 22 "suddenly he follows her as an ox goes to slaughter." The road to death is set. The man is walking it. He is captivated, and yet, his life will never be the same. The visual expression of an ox going to slaughter is such an assault; it is such a picture of what the sin does to us. It because a drug that overtakes all of our senses. The ox is obviously not realizing his destination. The ox is being led somewhere that it is thought will only yield good outcomes. The "slaughter" represents the end, not the journey. But "he does not know it is his life." He is consumed with the moment, not the end. The consequences or results of this act are not overtaken by the momentary high.

And so the chapter ends the way it begins. There are words from the wise one to the son, "Listen to me" and "pay attention." Here is the reason: "Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways" and "do not stray into her paths." In these words is the idea I think of 1 Corinthians 10:13 and it is "don't go there." Don't put yourself in a position that is hard to come back from. Once the ox is on the way to the slaughter, it is too late. I must think about this in my life. For instance, I just realized that when I am down on life, or angry, then it is not good to have my phone with me and so, like going to bed - don't bring it to bed. Leave it in the other room. 

At the end of this passage is more ammunition. It is the father building the case. He hopes that the son would simply listen to his words. He would hope that this is compelling enough. But, he also then shows the son the results of the sinful lifestyle. This paints the picture of any addiction in our lives.

For many are the victims she has cast down, 
and numerous are all her slain.
Her house is the way to Sheol, 
descending to the chambers of death.

The language is final. They are victims. They are numerous. This is a problem many have. They are slain - again death. Her house is on the trek to death. Her house is lower than any person really wants to go. It should be clear, but instead deception has taken over. 

Promise: The foolish young man who heeds the call of the adulteress will find nothing but destruction in her arms.

Prayer: Oh Lord, I need help in this. I am not strong. I am too easily lured away. Once the sin starts, it just continues to be a problem. I'm embarrassed as to what this sin has done to me over the years. To think that I can be so easily enticed. Lord, place a hedge around me. I need your protection. Give me strength. Give me rest today. Lord, I want to be free. I hate the feeling of being a slave to it. I want to follow you. Help me Lord. 

Jesus Calling: June 6

Seek My Face, and you will find fulfillment of your deepest longings. My world is filled with beautiful things; they are meant to be pointers to Me, reminders of My abiding Presence. The earth still declares My Glory to those who have eyes that see and ears that hear.
     You had a darkened mind before you sought Me wholeheartedly. I chose to pour My Light into you, so that you can be a beacon to others. There is no room for pride in this position. Your part is to reflect My glory. I am the Lord!

Psalm 105:4
English Standard Version

Seek the Lord and his strength;
    seek his presence continually!

Psalm 19:1-2
English Standard Version

1 The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
² Day to day pours out speech,
    and night to night reveals knowledge.

Isaiah 60:2
English Standard Version

For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
    and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
    and his glory will be seen upon you.

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 14:9 - Lord of the Dead and the Liviing

Romans 14:9 - For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

Message:  Lord of All

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

What the Lord is Saying:

What is this freedom I now have in Christ? What is this peace that passes understanding? What is this assurance of my salvation? It is that I belong to the Lord Jesus and therefore I am completely accepted by God. Man and mine's deepest desire is to belong and be accepted; it is to be a part of something bigger than me. This is what I have in Christ and this is the meaning of this verse. "For to this end." In verse 8, "whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's." This is why Christ died.

This is why Christ dead. This is the message that everyone needs to hear. Why did Christ die? Because I was dead. In my sin, as a fallen creature, I was dead. And Christ's death gave me a new life. When I have money, when I have things, when I have creature comforts, when I have few obstacles and problems, when I have all of this, then I think I don't need anything and that means, I don't need God. I don't need a Savior. I can hold myself up. It is through weakness and life in all its imperfections that I discover I can't do it on my own.

I remember this song from Resurrection Band, from their "Mommy Don't Love Daddy Anymore" LP, called "Can't Do it On my Own:"

I've tried to understand what went wrong and tried to figure out why it took so long,
I've tried to go back through my past and just undo the selfishness,
I've tried to turn my heart from stone into a heart of tenderness. 

But I can't do it,
I can't do it on my own,
I can't do it,
I can't do it all alone,
I can't do it,
I can't do it on my own.

I try and try and try, but I can't do it on my own. But, people in life like to see if they can.

He died and rose again. This confirms the reason for his death and resurrection.

Wayne Barber always says, "God never said we could. He can, and He always said He would."

Promise: From Tabletalk, "Christ made the ultimate sacrifice to buy us back, and because He paid the price, He alone has the right to judge His people."

Romans 13:8-9 - The Sum of God's Commandments

Romans 13:8-9 - ⁸ Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. ⁹ For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Message: Owe nothing to anyone except owe love to everyone.

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

What the Lord is Saying:

Following my responsibility toward God, Society, Government -- I have a responsibility toward our my neighbor. He has mentioned in the previous verse that my giving to the government is what is due, but right after this, he says I am to owe no one anything. But, instead I am to love one another. Many of the commandments speak of my duty toward my neighbor - adultery, murder, stealing, coveting - with the reminder that all of these can be followed if I simply "love my neighbor as myself." 

Owe no one
I do not think this means that I can never go into debt. Again, in verse 7, I have a responsibility to pay (the government) what is due them, so if I take a loan out, I have a responsibility to make regular payments and always pay what is due. I think the issue here is the problem that often comes from taking on debt is we take on too much and then can't pay it all and then we put ourselves in a bad situation and the person we are indebted to as well. If I get to a point where I can not pay my bills then I have acted frivolously with my money. So, I think I need to try to not go into debt. It is better to may for things in cash or pay my bills. 

At various times, I have had the ambition to pay for everything with a Credit Card because the credit card companies often provide you with cash rewards or travel rewards by paying for things with cash. My concern with this is it is easy to get carried away with spending and buying more than is needed and using the credit card is a very easy transaction, to the point that it is easy to not think about what you are doing. And so using it requires a great amount of discipline. There is great discipline in setting aside money and only buying what I can afford. I must be careful I do not put myself in a tough situation. 

Love one another
My one main responsibility toward every person is to love them. I have a debt to people to constantly pay them with love, to constantly find ways to discharge that debt and relinquish it from myself to that person. This is my overriding focus toward others. The reason I am not to get into a situation where I owe someone something is because I am not to put them in an ill situation. I am not to injure another person. If they loan me something and I am not able to pay them back then they are hurt as well. Love is something I must discharge as well at all times to my brother. Without love I could injure another person. No one ever said of another person, "he loved me too much." Love is not something that a person can receive too much of. 

Fulfilling the Law
When I pay someone back, I take away all the burden that is due; in the same way, love fulfills all the purpose of justice and truth. 

The Law is often talked about by Paul as something that is there to show us that we cannot fulfill it. Romans 7 states that I would not have known sin if the Law had not said, "You shall not or you shall." The law open up my eyes. The law cannot be fulfilled on my own. I need a Savior. But, Paul here makes the statement that by loving, in love, the law is fulfilled. People often say, "Jesus loves me." The pinnacle of our faith is love. I am where I am at right now because of the love Jesus has for me. He accepts me. He looks past my sin and sees me. He forgives me. He understands that I cannot make myself worthy. He took care of my need for justification before God. He has complete love for me. What draws me to Jesus is His amazing love for me. This is to be my focus in life. I am to love one another. 

One of my chief desires is that my children know that I love them; that their mother loves them. But, love does not mean a blanket acceptance to everything in their life. It is tragic that people often treat love and acceptance as the same thing. Jesus loves us, but he hates sin. 

All fulfilled in loving one another
It is amazing to see the power that I have with love. It is amazing to see the impact that we have with love. Love should be the calling card of the Christian. Love is what testifies of their being a God. Love impacts people like nothing else. No matter what sin has ever been committed, love can come in and rescue that sin. 

"If this command were fulfilled, it would prevent all fraud, injustice, oppression, falsehood, adultery, murder, theft, and covetousness." - Albert Barnes

If there is one thing that each of my days should be about, it is this. I need to love people more.

Note: It is funny. I spent time on this and then went to get ready for the day and asked my wife for something regarding my son and helping out with a project this weekend when his desire was to go be with his friends out of town at the Lake. I asked for my wife's opinion, but then I didn't want it because it wasn't what I wanted to hear. She gave me her perspective and I shot it down because she didn't agree with me. And then I made it about my pain. I brought guilt into the equation. I did not love. I got caught up in the moment and didn't love. I started reacting and didn't love. I am a wretched man. I don't know how to truly love people. My selfishness got in the way of my love.

Promise: Love heals all wounds.

Romans 3:18 - No Fear of God

Romans 3:18 - “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” 

Message: The picture of no fear of God.

Time: Paul probably wrote Romans between A.D. 57-58 while he was at Corinth in the home of his friend and convert Gaius. He planned to go first to Jerusalem to deliver a gift of money from the Gentile churches to the poor in Jerusalem. Then he hoped to visit Rome on his way to Spain. His hopes were later realized, but not as he had expected. When he finally arrived in Rome in early A.D. 60, he was a prisoner under house arrest (Acts 28:11-31).

What the Lord is Saying:

Here in verse 18 is sort of an interesting, though apt, culmination of man's departure from God. It is somewhat similar to chapter 1. I am always reminded that as my turns from God, he stops giving thanks to God for His hand of providence in life. And here is the calling card of the sinner. We have seen that no one is righteous, the tongue is poison and our feet are swift to shed blood. 

But, more directly now before God, there is no fear of God. This statement really could be a summary statement of the problem with all men: no fear of God. This is a quote from Psalm 36:1, "Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart; There is no fear of God before his eyes."

The stark reminder of this verse is man really doesn't care about God. Fearing God causes us to turn away from evil (Proverbs 3:7). The fear of God means our sin is constrained so without it, sin is unleashed. It always amazes me the surprise it seems the Christian world has in the world's sins. They don't fear God. How can we expect them to follow through on God's commandments when they don't fear Him? 

Deuteronomy 4:10 -  Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when the Lord said to me, ‘Assemble the people to Me, that I may let them hear My words so they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.
-- with an absence of God's words in our life, there is going to be an absence of the fear of God. 

Why is the fear of God so important? I think it is a recognition that God is there. It is interesting that when I'm breaking the law of speeding, I fear the police catching me. In a dark room, sometimes I fear not having light. Sometimes I fear being found out for not being as smart as people think I am. I fear people often, not wanting to talk to them about God, because I don't want their rejection of me or their verdict upon me. I think of money too much because I fear being without it. I have fears that my children will not walk with the Lord. But, I wonder if I really fear God. What often motivates me to not sin is the consequences of sin. I hope that what begins my desire to avoid sin is the realization that God is there. He created me. He has a purpose for me. He is in control. In some ways, I think fear of God is respecting who God is. It is recognizing that He is there, always. It is knowing that He is Holy. It is believing in Him.

Promise: Without fear of God, there is no foundation. Man is in chaos.

Romans 3:10-11 - No One is Righteous

Romans 3:10-11 -
10 as it is written,

“There is none righteous, not even one;
11 There is none who understands,
There is none who seeks for God;

Message: No one is righteous; no one is right before God on their own and no one seeks for God.

Time: Paul probably wrote Romans between A.D. 57-58 while he was at Corinth in the home of his friend and convert Gaius. He planned to go first to Jerusalem to deliver a gift of money from the Gentile churches to the poor in Jerusalem. Then he hoped to visit Rome on his way to Spain. His hopes were later realized, but not as he had expected. When he finally arrived in Rome in early A.D. 60, he was a prisoner under house arrest (Acts 28:11-31).

What the Lord is Saying:

Paul now begins to explain verse 9 and what it means that all men are sinners. This message is only of value if God's standard is perfection. If all man has to be is good enough then it isn't important to show that no one is righteous.

Why are these verses so important? To me, they are here because people quickly think they are good. Partly, because there is so much in life that reinforces that we are good. The hardest thing to do, it seems, in sharing Christ with others is helping them to see that they are not completely good and that none of their good merits God's acceptance. [The other big problem I see is people misunderstand God's forgiveness and think that when God forgives their life doesn't have to change very much because God will always be there to forgive them of their sins.] 

Verse 10 begins with "as it is written." I think this is important because what Paul is saying is this thinking didn't originate with him. But, he is simply bringing forth something already taught in scripture (the Old Testament). And so for 9 verses Paul will quote from various passages:

• Romans 3:10-12from Psalm 14:1-3 and Psalm 53:1-3
• Romans 3:13 from Psalm 5:9 and Psalm 140:3
• Romans 3:14 from Psalm 10:7
• Romans 3:15-17 from Isaiah 59:7-8 and see Isaiah 48:22
• Romans 3:18 from Psalm 36:1

As we begin in verses 10-11, Psalm 14:1-3 and Psalm 53:1-3 states, "The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good. 2 The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men To see if there are any who understand, Who seek after God. 3 They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one."

Verse 10 is a complete statement. Nothing more really needs to be said. This lecture could end at verse 10. "There is none righteous, not even one." To be righteous is obviously the goal here. It is the standard. Paul originally told his readers or hearers in Romans 1:16-17 that the "righteous person will live by faith." And in Romans 2:29 it is by the Spirit that man is declared righteous.

So from verse 11 on, Paul will do what Paul does and that is further clarify what this means when he says that no one is righteous.

On a side note, this message of none righteous is not a popular message nor a message prevalent today. We would much rather talk about how great God is or even how we are to be a better person. And sometimes I feel like that what is missing from my church is the weekly reminder that we are sinners. God is great but man is also not simply, "not great" but more specifically man is a sinner. Sin and hell seem to be subjects that are not talked about very much, so it seems.

The Greek word for "understands" is suniemi and here it is in the present tense, to indicate that no one continually puts it all together to comprehend the truth about God and His demand for righteousness.

And "there is none who seeks for God." John 6:44, Jesus said, "No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent me draws Him." Our tendency is to pat ourselves on the back and say, "look how spiritual I am" but the rightful perspective is to thank God for bringing His light to us. This should, therefore, make us want to pray. It is through prayer that we talk to God and request of God to save sinners. This is why Jesus came, to save sinners.

Do we really seek for God or are we instead seeking for the Lord's benefits in our lives? Do we really want Him or do we really want His blessings?

Promise: None righteous, none who understand, none who seek for God. That is a promise.

Romans 2:6-8 - Weighing our works

Romans 2:6-8 6 who will render to each person according to his deeds: 7 to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; 8 but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.

Message: The judgment of God is according to our deeds.

Time: Written sometime in AD 57-58, probably from Corinth, at the end of Paul's third missionary journey. Chapter 2 seems to be written to the Jew though the Jew is not addressed till verse 17.

What the Lord is Saying:

I have been reading a book on the misuse of Bible verses. It has taught me to take extra consideration of the context of a verse. Looking at verse 6, it is one of those verses that I have often pulled out and applied it in a certain way. I have made this verse to be of the idea that God will recompense people in heaven according to their works on earth. In talking to an LDS person, I have heard them say that this verse speaks to how important our works are on earth because God will reward us based upon those deeds.

Now, it is not that our works on earth are meaningless because Jesus speaks in the parable of the talents of the importance of our gifts of service and the reward associated with them. And yet as I read and study now these verses, the focus of these verses is the wrath of God and the judgment of God. Verse 5 just spoke of the day of wrath or the day when God will reveal to man all that he has done and he will be accountable for his works. Going back to chapter 1, in verse 16 it mentions the power of God for salvation. Salvation is a power of God, not man. Man is to believe. And in verse 17, salvation is the righteousness of God in man. God makes  man righteous. This is the work of salvation. In contrast, chapter 2 begins to speak of the wrath of God. In verse 1, man has no excuse. Passing judgment on others doesn't excuse our own behavior. And then there is the opportunity for salvation briefly in verse 4 as God's kindness or patience in giving man the opportunity to repent and turn from their sin is clearly shown and yet in verse 5, man rejects this offer.

And so, under the wrath of God, in verse 6, God will render to each person according to his deeds. And then this is further spelled out and described in verses 7 and 8. Verse 7 tells us that those who do good will receive eternal life and in verse 8, those who are selfish and do not obey, will receive wrath and indignation.

Without Christ man will have to show that before God he has persevered in doing good and doing good wasn't just a momentary thing in one's life but it was always present (verse 7), for this person eternal life will be available. Revelation 20:12 also speaks of this when the book of life is opened and man is judged according to what is written in the book. And yet, we know, no one will be able to stand before God and state they have persevered in doing good. On the contrary, in verse 8, man is clearly seen as being selfish.

In essence, verse 7 is somewhat hypothetical because a person could never receive eternal life based upon his own good works and yet many will arrive before God and try to pull it off. 

Promise: The Lord will weight our works and reward those done in Christ's name, but they will not be the basis for whether He gives us everlasting life. For that we rely on the righteousness of Jesus alone.

Ezekiel 26

Message: Prophecy against Tyre.

Time: 11th month, 1st day of the month, the word of the Lord comes to Ezekiel.

What the Lord is Saying: Problem with Tyre. They were selfish in the demise of the people of Jerusalem. They did not have compassion, but were ready to take advantage of their tough situation.

Because of this, the Lord says that they will become the captive instead of the captor and their daughters will be killed. God will bring Nebuchadnezzar from the north (king of Babylon) and he will kill and put up a siege wall and raise shields against you. Your towers will be broken down. Your walls will shake because of the many horses and wagons and chariots coming towards you. Pillars will fall and streets will be full of war. Your riches will be gone, your houses plundered, your precious stones will be case into the water; there will be no more music; there will be no more re-built's.

And people will lament over you, that this renowned city has now perished.

Promise: The Lord decrees and they are never to be found again.