Romans 4:6 - “Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works”
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
God imputes righteousness to you through His Son. What does “impute” mean? It means “to put on your account.” At the moment you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, God makes you righteous. Romans 4:8 says, “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.” A woman was asked one day what it felt like to be saved, and she replied, “It feels as though I’m standing in Jesus’ shoes and He is standing in mine.” A scholar or theologian couldn’t have said it any better. “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
ACTION POINT:
If you’re saved, thank God that though you are a sinner, He doesn’t impute it to you, and though you are not righteous, He does impute that to you!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
Selfishness.....
And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Galatians 5:24
Recommended Reading
Genesis 4:1-16
Cain, the son of Adam and Eve and brother of Abel, is mentioned nineteen times in Scripture. Sixteen of them are in Genesis 4 where his story is told, and the other three occur in the New Testament where he is used as a negative example. Not a sterling legacy to leave behind!
What tarnished Cain's reputation? The Bible says only that God "did not respect Cain and his offering" (Genesis 4:5). Something in Cain's response to God--he became "very angry, and his countenance fell"--provides a clue. Anyone who gets angry when corrected legitimately by an authority reveals a selfish streak, caring ultimately only about self. Perhaps Cain was expected to bring an animal sacrifice like Abel did, but he brought fruits of the field instead, something that was handy for him. Leviticus 3:16 says it is the fat part of the animal sacrifice that becomes a "sweet aroma" to the Lord.
Submitting to God means exchanging selfishness for selflessness, living for Christ instead of living for self. Christians should be selflessness, not selfishness, personified.
Selfishness is never so exquisitely selfish as when it is on its knees.
A. W. Tozer
Galatians 5:24
Recommended Reading
Genesis 4:1-16
Cain, the son of Adam and Eve and brother of Abel, is mentioned nineteen times in Scripture. Sixteen of them are in Genesis 4 where his story is told, and the other three occur in the New Testament where he is used as a negative example. Not a sterling legacy to leave behind!
What tarnished Cain's reputation? The Bible says only that God "did not respect Cain and his offering" (Genesis 4:5). Something in Cain's response to God--he became "very angry, and his countenance fell"--provides a clue. Anyone who gets angry when corrected legitimately by an authority reveals a selfish streak, caring ultimately only about self. Perhaps Cain was expected to bring an animal sacrifice like Abel did, but he brought fruits of the field instead, something that was handy for him. Leviticus 3:16 says it is the fat part of the animal sacrifice that becomes a "sweet aroma" to the Lord.
Submitting to God means exchanging selfishness for selflessness, living for Christ instead of living for self. Christians should be selflessness, not selfishness, personified.
Selfishness is never so exquisitely selfish as when it is on its knees.
A. W. Tozer
Friday, July 23, 2010
Sticks and stones do hurt......but we must continue on.
Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.
Luke 4:30
Recommended Reading
Luke 4:20-30
When Yogi Berra started playing in the major leagues, he was subjected to cruel criticism and cutting remarks. Fans and foes called him a Neanderthal man or an ape because of his odd looks and awkward style. An umpire inducted him into the "All Ugly" club. He was compared to a gorilla in flannels. He later wrote, "As the razzes kept coming, I just tried to ignore or play along.... Some of the opposing players would hang from the top of the dugout, like an ape in a jungle. I'd just brush that stuff off and tell anyone it didn't matter if you're ugly in this racket, because all you've got to do is hit the ball and I never saw anybody hit one with his face."1
Jesus was violently criticized after His sermon in Nazareth, but passing through the midst of them, He went His way.
When criticized, we must ask ourselves if the criticism is true. If so, we should change our behavior and learn from the rebuke. If it's not, brush that stuff off, trust God with your reputation, and go your way.
When you throw mud at someone, you're the one who is losing ground.
Anonymous
1Yogi Berra, Ten Rings (NY: Perennial Currents, 2003), 26.
Luke 4:30
Recommended Reading
Luke 4:20-30
When Yogi Berra started playing in the major leagues, he was subjected to cruel criticism and cutting remarks. Fans and foes called him a Neanderthal man or an ape because of his odd looks and awkward style. An umpire inducted him into the "All Ugly" club. He was compared to a gorilla in flannels. He later wrote, "As the razzes kept coming, I just tried to ignore or play along.... Some of the opposing players would hang from the top of the dugout, like an ape in a jungle. I'd just brush that stuff off and tell anyone it didn't matter if you're ugly in this racket, because all you've got to do is hit the ball and I never saw anybody hit one with his face."1
Jesus was violently criticized after His sermon in Nazareth, but passing through the midst of them, He went His way.
When criticized, we must ask ourselves if the criticism is true. If so, we should change our behavior and learn from the rebuke. If it's not, brush that stuff off, trust God with your reputation, and go your way.
When you throw mud at someone, you're the one who is losing ground.
Anonymous
1Yogi Berra, Ten Rings (NY: Perennial Currents, 2003), 26.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Do you have a close friend ?
A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Proverbs 18:24
Recommended Reading
Psalm 55:12-14
There is no consensus as to the origin of the question, "With friends like these, who needs enemies?"--but we all know what it means: Sometimes those we thought were our friends act like we would expect enemies to act. Anyone who has experienced such a reversal of "friendship" knows the pain and perplexity it can cause.
Job experienced such pain. When he was at the worst point of his life, his friends came to accuse and lecture him about his dishonesty before God, his failure to repent of whatever sins caused God to heap suffering upon him. They were not the kind of friends described in Proverbs 18:24--friends who stick closer than a brother. Anyone who has a brother or sister knows that siblings can act like enemies at times. But there is a friend who never does what even a sibling will do, a friend who loves at all times. That's the kind of friend Job needed, the kind of friend we need--and need to be to others in pain.
Jesus declared Himself to be the friend of those who follow Him (John 15:14). If you need a friend today, He is there for you. If you know others who need a friend, be to them one who sticks closer than a brother.
Sinners willfully lose God for a friend.
Matthew Henry
Proverbs 18:24
Recommended Reading
Psalm 55:12-14
There is no consensus as to the origin of the question, "With friends like these, who needs enemies?"--but we all know what it means: Sometimes those we thought were our friends act like we would expect enemies to act. Anyone who has experienced such a reversal of "friendship" knows the pain and perplexity it can cause.
Job experienced such pain. When he was at the worst point of his life, his friends came to accuse and lecture him about his dishonesty before God, his failure to repent of whatever sins caused God to heap suffering upon him. They were not the kind of friends described in Proverbs 18:24--friends who stick closer than a brother. Anyone who has a brother or sister knows that siblings can act like enemies at times. But there is a friend who never does what even a sibling will do, a friend who loves at all times. That's the kind of friend Job needed, the kind of friend we need--and need to be to others in pain.
Jesus declared Himself to be the friend of those who follow Him (John 15:14). If you need a friend today, He is there for you. If you know others who need a friend, be to them one who sticks closer than a brother.
Sinners willfully lose God for a friend.
Matthew Henry
Monday, July 12, 2010
Patience
Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
James 1:3
Recommended Reading
Romans 5:1-5
In our culture, the concept of "testing" immediately brings school days to mind. From the first grade on, we grow used to the sweaty palms and increased heart rate that accompanies these words: "Clear your desk and take out a pencil...." If we were well prepared, the test was an affirmation. If we were poorly prepared, the test was a rebuke--gentle or severe, depending on the grade.
Tests don't end on graduation day, however. God has tests for us as well, like this one: "Describe nine ways to know if you are filled with the Holy Spirit." The answer is whether we manifest the nine dimensions of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Take patience, for instance. God allows us to experience times that test our patience in order to show us whether we are relying on ourselves or on the Holy Spirit. The more we are tested, the more evidence we have of the kind of power we are relying on--self or the Spirit. And the more opportunities we have to say "Fill me with Your presence, Holy Spirit, that I may manifest patience in this situation."
If you are tested today, don't fail by relying on self. Let tests become affirmations of your reliance on the Holy Spirit in you.
Hope is the foundation of patience.
John Calvin
James 1:3
Recommended Reading
Romans 5:1-5
In our culture, the concept of "testing" immediately brings school days to mind. From the first grade on, we grow used to the sweaty palms and increased heart rate that accompanies these words: "Clear your desk and take out a pencil...." If we were well prepared, the test was an affirmation. If we were poorly prepared, the test was a rebuke--gentle or severe, depending on the grade.
Tests don't end on graduation day, however. God has tests for us as well, like this one: "Describe nine ways to know if you are filled with the Holy Spirit." The answer is whether we manifest the nine dimensions of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Take patience, for instance. God allows us to experience times that test our patience in order to show us whether we are relying on ourselves or on the Holy Spirit. The more we are tested, the more evidence we have of the kind of power we are relying on--self or the Spirit. And the more opportunities we have to say "Fill me with Your presence, Holy Spirit, that I may manifest patience in this situation."
If you are tested today, don't fail by relying on self. Let tests become affirmations of your reliance on the Holy Spirit in you.
Hope is the foundation of patience.
John Calvin
Saturday, June 26, 2010
How are you doing on the Great Commission ?
The Saddest Words
And then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness."
Matthew 7:23
Recommended Reading
Revelation 20:11-15
Suppose you had been living on a piece of property for twenty years and you decided to sell. When it was time to have an updated survey of the property prepared, the surveyor gave you bad news: You are not the registered owner of your property! Somehow, your name was never entered in the county's book of deeds and registrations. You know you own the property but the county registrar does not.
The absence of a name in a deed book can usually be remedied with supporting documentation. But there is one book of names that, once it is opened by God, cannot be changed. And that is the Lamb's Book of Life (Revelation 21:27). In that book are the names of all who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. For Jesus to say, "I never knew you; depart from Me" will be the saddest words anyone could ever hear. The only thing that could be as bad would be for a Christian to hear those words spoken to a person he had the opportunity to influence toward a decision for Christ. What will Jesus say to such a person?
If you know someone to whom Jesus will one day say, "I never knew you," tell that person how to avoid that sad day.
Every single believer is a God-ordained agent of evangelism.
R. B. Kuiper
And then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness."
Matthew 7:23
Recommended Reading
Revelation 20:11-15
Suppose you had been living on a piece of property for twenty years and you decided to sell. When it was time to have an updated survey of the property prepared, the surveyor gave you bad news: You are not the registered owner of your property! Somehow, your name was never entered in the county's book of deeds and registrations. You know you own the property but the county registrar does not.
The absence of a name in a deed book can usually be remedied with supporting documentation. But there is one book of names that, once it is opened by God, cannot be changed. And that is the Lamb's Book of Life (Revelation 21:27). In that book are the names of all who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. For Jesus to say, "I never knew you; depart from Me" will be the saddest words anyone could ever hear. The only thing that could be as bad would be for a Christian to hear those words spoken to a person he had the opportunity to influence toward a decision for Christ. What will Jesus say to such a person?
If you know someone to whom Jesus will one day say, "I never knew you," tell that person how to avoid that sad day.
Every single believer is a God-ordained agent of evangelism.
R. B. Kuiper
Monday, June 21, 2010
The Love of the Father
"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" (I John 3:1, NIV)
God gave us earthly fathers to emulate just a fraction of our heavenly Father's love and care for us. Maybe your father was faithful to this model, and maybe he wasn't. What's most important is that we learn to fix our eyes on the One who created us and who can love us, as we were meant to be loved.
Let's take a look at God's love for us as demonstrated in the parable of the prodigal son found in Luke 15. I would argue that this account is actually about the father more than it is about either of the two sons. Jesus shared this story because He wanted us to know what His Father is like. It richly portrays the love that our heavenly Father has towards us.
Christ wants us to know how God the Father feels when one of His children deliberately goes his or her own way, lives as if He doesn't exist or takes all of the blessings from the hand of the Father and then totally ignores Him. This is why Jesus tells us a story about two lost sons; one who was lost in the far country and the other who was lost at home.
The younger son deliberately and premeditatedly left home, while the father waited for him. In order to comprehend the depth of the father's sorrow here, you must understand that in Middle Eastern culture it would be unthinkable for a son to come to his father and ask for part of his estate. He basically would be saying, "Father, I wish you were dead. Hurry up and die so I can get my hands on your money."
Jesus impresses upon us how incredible, how indescribable, how inexhaustible the love and patience of God are. Even though the father is suffering in agony over the son's rebellion and rejection, he lets him go. The father could have tried to stop the boy, but he didn't. He could have sent a servant to follow the boy and report back to him, but he didn't.
But at last the son comes to his senses and returns home. The father could have told him, "You stupid, foolish boy. You caused me all this worry and pain. Now you're just slinking back to me when you're out of money and desperate." Or he could have said, "You thought you were going to be a big shot in the big city - now look at you. If you want my forgiveness, you need to prove you really mean it." But that's not what happened because it is not representative of how our heavenly Father relates to us.
The Bible says that the father "ran to his son" (v. 20). You say, "Well, isn't that sweet? Isn't that wonderful?" But there's an even deeper meaning here. In Middle Eastern culture, particularly in the days of Jesus, men never ran. In that culture, running is considered degradation.
Can you see the cross here? Remember how the Father humiliated Himself in the Son as He hung on the cross in order to provide forgiveness for sins?
What does the Father in heaven do when a sinner repents of their sin and says, "Lord, forgive me?" He embraces them and grants them forgiveness, and He puts His own robe on them. He gives them the assurance that they are a part of His family forever, and there is a celebration in heaven at the news (v. 10). Then when we join Him in eternity, He will wipe every tear from our eyes (Rev. 7:17), just as the father did for the Prodigal Son.
You - or someone you know - may be in the far country and away from God. In this state, you feel anxious and alone - maybe even fearful. I want to remind you this Father's Day that your heavenly Father is waiting for you and ready to receive you with open arms. All you need to do is surrender to Him, leave the wandering behind and come home.
God gave us earthly fathers to emulate just a fraction of our heavenly Father's love and care for us. Maybe your father was faithful to this model, and maybe he wasn't. What's most important is that we learn to fix our eyes on the One who created us and who can love us, as we were meant to be loved.
Let's take a look at God's love for us as demonstrated in the parable of the prodigal son found in Luke 15. I would argue that this account is actually about the father more than it is about either of the two sons. Jesus shared this story because He wanted us to know what His Father is like. It richly portrays the love that our heavenly Father has towards us.
Christ wants us to know how God the Father feels when one of His children deliberately goes his or her own way, lives as if He doesn't exist or takes all of the blessings from the hand of the Father and then totally ignores Him. This is why Jesus tells us a story about two lost sons; one who was lost in the far country and the other who was lost at home.
The younger son deliberately and premeditatedly left home, while the father waited for him. In order to comprehend the depth of the father's sorrow here, you must understand that in Middle Eastern culture it would be unthinkable for a son to come to his father and ask for part of his estate. He basically would be saying, "Father, I wish you were dead. Hurry up and die so I can get my hands on your money."
Jesus impresses upon us how incredible, how indescribable, how inexhaustible the love and patience of God are. Even though the father is suffering in agony over the son's rebellion and rejection, he lets him go. The father could have tried to stop the boy, but he didn't. He could have sent a servant to follow the boy and report back to him, but he didn't.
But at last the son comes to his senses and returns home. The father could have told him, "You stupid, foolish boy. You caused me all this worry and pain. Now you're just slinking back to me when you're out of money and desperate." Or he could have said, "You thought you were going to be a big shot in the big city - now look at you. If you want my forgiveness, you need to prove you really mean it." But that's not what happened because it is not representative of how our heavenly Father relates to us.
The Bible says that the father "ran to his son" (v. 20). You say, "Well, isn't that sweet? Isn't that wonderful?" But there's an even deeper meaning here. In Middle Eastern culture, particularly in the days of Jesus, men never ran. In that culture, running is considered degradation.
Can you see the cross here? Remember how the Father humiliated Himself in the Son as He hung on the cross in order to provide forgiveness for sins?
What does the Father in heaven do when a sinner repents of their sin and says, "Lord, forgive me?" He embraces them and grants them forgiveness, and He puts His own robe on them. He gives them the assurance that they are a part of His family forever, and there is a celebration in heaven at the news (v. 10). Then when we join Him in eternity, He will wipe every tear from our eyes (Rev. 7:17), just as the father did for the Prodigal Son.
You - or someone you know - may be in the far country and away from God. In this state, you feel anxious and alone - maybe even fearful. I want to remind you this Father's Day that your heavenly Father is waiting for you and ready to receive you with open arms. All you need to do is surrender to Him, leave the wandering behind and come home.
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