Certainty
Today’s Passage – Luke 1 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalm 119; Proverbs 25)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 John 3:1
Read the “1025 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.” (Luke 1:4)
I have always been fascinated by these first few verses in Luke’s gospel. He is writing to an individual by the name of Theophilus who we know very little about; and he is explaining to him, under the inspiration of the Spirit of God, in detail, all that he knows about the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is interesting when you think about it that Luke appears to be writing this entire book to one man. Now we know that God had other plans for the book, but on a human level it seems to be the most comprehensive gospel tract ever written. All for one man, Theophilus. The first thought that hits me is the concern that Luke must of had for this one man in order to go through this arduous task just so that Theophilus could be certain about what he already knew about the Lord. Luke is possibly the most diligent soul winner there ever was.
The second thought I have from this Scripture comes from the word “certainty”. Luke penned the Word of God so that the hearer could be certain about the Lord Jesus Christ. That reminds me of another verse that tells us that …faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17) Practical application of this principle tells us that the more time we spend in the Word of God, the more we will be certain about the things of God; and the more certain we are in our faith, the greater our life and ministries will be also. We will be able to boldly plow forward through this dark and cold world with the gospel simply because we are sure of what we believe about God.
If you look at the faithless condition of America today, and consider how that Satan has been effective at both distorting the Word of God in most of our churches, and removing the Word of God from schools and many of the other public venues of our society, it is no wonder that the country is rapidly moving away from God. The answer is the Word. We in the church need to get strengthened ourselves through the certainty that comes through time spent in the Book; and then flood our churches, communities, families, neighborhoods, and workplaces with the Word of God. The more they hear the Word, the more they can be certain about the Lord.
Certainty is very important. Being certain about what you believe will get you through the trials of life with your faith intact. Be certain about your calling will keep you at your post until the Lord makes it clear that He wants you to do something else. Certainty comes from the Word of God, and it is strengthened as we continue to walk by faith. I want to demonstrate this certainty in my life as I minister to the people here in Galloway Township. I want them to be able to see that I really believe what I claim to know about the Lord; and I want them to see a consistency in my life and ministry in the years to come that will be the fruit of the certainty that I have received from the Lord.
How about you? Are you certain about what you claim to believe? Being sure about what you believe will dramatically change the way you live. I believe the reason why most of us struggle so much with our testimony is because we really don’t believe deep down what we say that we believe. Our faith needs to be increased. Ask God to bring you in closer, and give you a greater assurance about His Word and His will. As you meditate upon and study the Word of God, He will increase your certainty about the things of God.
Posted in Thoughts from Luke by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Have You Ever Been There?
Today’s Passage – Mark 15 – 16 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 116 – 118; Proverbs 24)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – James 4:10
Read the “1024 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from this passage – “Ready, Set, Go“, and “The Just for the Unjust“
“And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34)
The above verse references the time when Jesus was on the cross with the sins of the whole world placed upon his shoulders. In His humanity, He cries to the Father, and for the first time Jesus calls His Father, “God” instead of “Father”. Here at this moment it seemed that everything was against Him, including God.
Does it ever seem to you like God has forsaken you? I have been through some dark valleys in my time, and there have been many times where I have wondered, “Where is God?” At those times, it seemed like God was nowhere to be found. However, in hindsight, I can see that God was there all along; and though I could not see Him or feel Him, He was there. He is always there. If you are going through some kind of a trial today, don’t trust your feelings: they will often betray you. Trust the Word of God. The Bible tells us that He will never leave us or forsake us. Keep trusting; keep praying, even though it seems like you are just talking to yourself. Remember faith is the evidence of things not seen. Though His presence may seem to be elsewhere, He is right there with you. He hasn’t stopped loving you, and He hasn’t stopped working for your good and His glory.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
Is It I?
Today’s Passage – Mark 14 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 111 – 115; Proverbs 23)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 Timothy 1:17
Read the “1023 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me. And they began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one, Is it I? and another said, Is it I? … And they all forsook him, and fled.” (Mark 14:18-19, 50)
Judas betrayed the Lord (Mark 14:43 – 44); Peter denied the Lord (Mark 14:71 – 72); three of the disciples could not stay awake with Jesus in his time of need in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:37); and all the disciples forsook Him and fled (Mark 14:50). No wonder the disciples each asked Jesus: “Is it I?” They all knew that they were capable of forsaking the Lord. The possible exception is the Apostle John who according to his own account asked: “who is it?”
When the disciples asked, “Is it I?”, I believe they were being completely transparent and open about the limitations of their own humanity as well as the weakness of their faith. None of the events that were taking place that night were going as they had thought. They all envisioned a King who be enthroned in Jerusalem, putting down the corrupt religious leaders and crushing the Roman oppressors in the process. But that’s not what was happening. Jesus seemed to be losing. He was talking about being delivered to crucifixion. This was not what they had signed up for. So, when Jesus announces that He was about to be betrayed, it was easy for each of them to admit the possibility that it might be him.
How about you? When life doesn’t go exactly as you had hoped that it should go, do you have some doubts about your faith? Have you ever thought (or even said), “if God were real, why is this happening to me?” I know I have. Even though I have experienced cataclysmic changes in my life since being born-again; even though I have seen God’s blessing on myself and others time and time again; and even though He has miraculously protected me and provided for me so many times in the past; every once in a while, I still have my moments where my faith is weak.
One thing I suppose that we can all learn from the experience of Judas is that even though we may have our moments of weakness, we should not make any major decisions during them. Judas acted upon his lack of faith, and turned the Lord over to the religious leaders and Roman authorities. He was complicit with a plan that he knew was conceived in envy and deceit. He know that the Lord Jesus was innocent; yet, he conspired with evil men for money.
When you have your moments of doubt the best thing that you can do is to wait before speaking or acting. Get alone with the Lord in your prayer closet with an open Bible, and allow the Lord to help you with your questions and give you the assurance that you need. Maybe you should find somebody that you know has strong faith and ask for their help. It is normal to have doubts. We are all in good company. The men closest to the Lord struggled at times also; but don’t throw in the towel on God (if that’s even possible for a true believer). Just wait, and pray; strengthen your faith through the Word of God; get around a brother or sister that has walked with God a little longer and further than you have, and soon your doubts will be gone.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
I Don’t Want to Render to Caesar
Today’s Passage – Mark 12 – 13 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 106 – 110; Proverbs 22
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 34:6
“And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not? … And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. And they marvelled at him.” – (Mark 12:14, 17)
You will probably not enjoy reading this post as much as I won’t enjoy writing it. In our reading today from Mark 12:13 – 17, we see the Pharisees attempting to corner Jesus by getting him to say something that will get him in trouble. They specifically asked him about paying taxes. They thought that they had Him in a secure trap. If Jesus said that the people should not pay taxes, then they could get Him in hot water with the Roman government (Caesar); but if he said that the people should pay taxes, then the Jewish people would be furious with Him, because they hated the Roman government, and were expecting their Messiah to overthrow it. Jesus’ answer was marvelous. He simply said that the people owed a debt to the government, and that they should pay that debt. He also was careful to add that they were also to pay what was expected of them to God.
Nobody likes paying taxes; I certainly don’t. However, taxes are a necessary evil. We all enjoy the protection that we receive from our police and military. We all make use of our infrastructure: we drive on our roads, cross our bridges, etc. All of these services make our lives better. On the other side of the coin, we can all see where our government is spending too much money on things that we wish they would discontinue. Our government is voted in by the people it represents, and the people need to be part of the process. I also believe that believers should be involved in our government process. We should vote, and speak our minds regarding the issues that are important to us. We should participate in community events. Our church has done some road clean-ups in our community in the past. We do blog drives, and the town uses our building for polling. It’s our town. We live in it, and we should do our part to make it a better place.
It is interesting to me, however, that Jesus didn’t concern himself much with trying to correct the abuses of government. He was far more concerned with teaching doctrine, and speaking out against the corruption in the religious community. The Apostle Paul, likewise did not seek to correct or rally to correct the wrong policies of the Roman empire. For instance, in Paul’s day slavery was tolerated. Paul did not protest the government or the slave owners, trying to abolish slavery. He simply instructed the Christian slave owners to treat their believing servants like brothers; and in the case of Philemon and Onesimus, he was persuasive in the granting of liberty to a runaway slave. He also instructed the servants regarding how to love and serve their masters. I am sure that Paul did not condone slavery, however. My point is that he was more concerned about instructing, exhorting, and admonishing Christians, then he was about straightening out the world, or it’s government.
Getting back to taxes. I believe that believers should cheerfully and honestly render to Caesar (the government) the things (taxes) that are owed to Caesar. Don’t cheat on your taxes. Don’t try to hide any income “under the table”. Remember, God will take care of all of your needs, including your tax debt. He owns it all anyway. In another similar story regarding taxes, Jesus instructed Peter to go fishing, and in the first fish’s mouth he would find the tax money. (see Matthew 17:24 – 27) If we keep fishing for men, Jesus will continue to provide us with all of the coins that we need to pay our debt to Caesar, and meet all of our other needs as well.
Posted in Thoughts from Mark by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Do We Really See As Clearly As We Think We Do?
Today’s Passage – Mark 8 – 9 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 96 – 100; Proverbs 20)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – *Matthew 6:33*
Read the “1020 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from this passage – “Hear Ye Him”
“And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? … And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.” (Mark 8:17-18, 23-25)
In today’s reading from Mark 8, we first read about the “Feeding of the Four Thousand,” which takes place on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. This is a similar, but different, event from the more famous story of the “Feeding of the Five Thousand.” After feeding the four thousand, Jesus and his disciples leave for Dalmanutha, which is also on the western side of the Sea of Galilee, where he has an encounter with the Pharisees who demand for Jesus to give them some sort of sign to prove that He was the Messiah, which Jesus refuses to do. After leaving the Pharisees and when He and His disciples are back in the boat, Jesus warns the disciples about “the Leven of the Pharisees.” The word, “leaven,” in the Scriptures is often used symbolically as representation of sin. Jesus was really warning them about the sin of the Pharisees, but because He used the word, “leaven,” which is the ingredient used to make bread rise, his disciples thought somehow that Jesus was rebuking them for not bringing any bread with them. They misunderstood what Jesus was saying. They did not “see” or perceive what He was trying to tell them.
Fast forward now to the next story in Mark 8 regarding a man that really could not see; he was blind (vs. 22 – 26). When Jesus healed him, he at first could not see clearly; he stated that he saw “men as trees, walking.” However, when Jesus touched his eyes the second time, he could see clearly. I often wondered why it was that his sight was not wholly restored at the first touch. Did Jesus not use enough power the first time? No, I think that through this healing story is giving us all an illustration regarding spiritual sight or understanding.
Here are some thoughts:
- When a person trusts Christ, he is given the ability to understand spiritual truth. Lost people cannot comprehend the teaching of the Spirit of God. “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).
- However, even saved people do not understand everything that God wants to show them, at least not at first. This blind man did not see clearly at first, and the disciples did not at first understand what Jesus was trying to show them. They needed the help of Jesus to see clearly as well.
- To some degree, our spiritual understanding is progressive and increases with growth, experience, and obedience to God’s will. As the song says, “we will understand it better by and by.”
- We will never completely understand all spiritual truth, even when we get to Heaven. Omniscience is an attribute of God. However, in Heaven we will understand a great deal more.
- We must remember that we are all still blind to some things, especially some of our own problems. There are many things that we do not understand. Yet, our lack of comprehension is even something we have a tough time seeing. We think we see clearly. I am sure the man that was healed of his blindness at first thought he was seeing pretty good, but it was until after Jesus really cleared up his lack of focus on the second touch that he understood that previously his sight, though better, was still somehow limited.
- There are others who can see things that we cannot see yet because they have been granted clearer sight by God than us. Thus, we need to rely on other people who are a little further down the road spiritually to help us understand things.
- We need to pray and ask God to open up our understanding.
“Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” (Psalm 119:18)
You and I must realize that we may not be seeing things as clearly as we think we are. We think sometimes that we know it all, but there may be something in our lives that is a little out of focus. We need to be humble enough to admit that we do not have all the answers, and we need God’s help to understand better.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Are You For Real?
Today’s Passage – Mark 6 – 7 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 91 – 95; Proverbs 19
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 19
Read former posts from this pasage – “Don’t Lose the Personal Touch” & “Politicians”
“For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.” – (Mark 6:20)
In our text today, we read about the execution of John the Baptist by Herod. I will not rehash the story, as most of you are probably familiar with it, and if by chance you are not, you can read it for yourself in Mark 6:14 – 29. John was arrested by Herod because he had been preaching against Herod’s immoral relationship with his (Herod’s) brother’s wife. People who sin willfully do not like to be pointed out or reminded about their sin. Most people do not have the option of silencing their critics but when you are the mistress of the King you can pretty much do whatever you want. Thus, Herodias eventually got what she wanted – John’s head on a platter.
Herod did not want to arrest or kill John the Baptist. He was actually afraid of him because he knew that John was real. He knew that John, unlike the rest of the religious crowd of the day, was genuine in his faith and holiness. Men will fear a genuine believer who walks with God and practices what he believes. Unfortunately, they will fear the crowd more. Herod feared Herodias and the people who were watching, more than he feared God or John the Baptist. Pilate also feared the people more than he feared the Lord Jesus. However, the fear that Herod had for John continued even after John was gone. He actually thought that Jesus was some kind of a reincarnation of John coming back to get him.
The thought I have this morning is that Herod feared John because he knew that John was the real deal. He was genuine. He wasn’t just playing some religious game or using religion to advance his own personal agenda. The question I have for you (and me) this morning is, are you real? Is your faith making a difference in the lives of the people around you? Are there some Herodias’s in your life that just can’t stand you because of what you stand for? Are you poking some holes in the darkness around you, or are you just going through the religious motions, playing the church game? Just a thought.
Posted in Thoughts from Mark by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
Go Home To Thy Friends
Today’s Passage – Mark 4 – 5 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 86 – 90; Proverbs 18)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Micah 6:8
Read the “1018 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from this morning’s reading passage – “Good Ground“
“Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.” (Mark 5:19)
The testimony of this man from Decapolis that was saved by the Lord was incredible. He was delivered out of an horrible pit of the worst kinds of sin. He then volunteers by asking the Lord if he could stay with Him. You would think that the Lord would have this man travel with Him full-time sharing with the whole world what He had done for him. However, the Lord had different plans for this man’s life. Instead of taking him with Him, He told the man to go back home and tell all of his friends and family about his testimony. The Scripture tell us that the man “published” in Decapolis all things that the Lord had done for him.
I got to thinking that the Lord has different plans for all of our lives. Some of us He will call to minister for Him full-time as pastors or missionaries, etc. However, the vast majority of His children will be asked to stay home and tell their friends, family members, and neighbors about the Lord. We all have a testimony if we are saved, and the best place to start in sharing Christ with others is simply telling them what that Lord has done for us. Have you shared with your friends “how great things the Lord hath done for thee?” If you haven’t, there is no time better than today to start.
A note to you who have been saved and serving in a particular area for a long time: If you are like me, when you were first saved all of the people you knew were lost, and you had many wonderful opportunities to influence the people in your life with the love of Christ, which was literally bursting out from within you and your new and exciting faith. Now that you have been saved for some years, most of the people that you know are likely to be saved as well. You now have the challenge to intentionally seek out opportunities to interact and impact the lost people where you live for Christ. Get out into your community, meet new people, and share Christ with them.
Posted in Thoughts from Mark by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Bold As a Lion
Today’s Passage – Mark 1 – 3 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 81 – 85; Proverbs 17)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Scripture Song-Isaiah 51-11
Read the “1017 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from this morning’s Bible reading passage – “What Does It Mean To Blaspheme the Holy Ghost?;“ and “Who’s In the Driver’s Seat?“
“(21) And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught. (22) And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.” (Mark 1:21-22)
“The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.” (Proverbs 28:1)
In our Scripture passage this morning we see Jesus teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. Verse 22 tells us that He spoke “as one that had authority,” and then the passage adds that his teaching was unlike the scribes. The word for authority in this particular verse is ἐξουσίαν (from ἐξουσία – exousia), which meant in this case that Jesus had the right or jurisdiction to preach and teach the word of God. The same word is used in Matthew 28:18, where it is translated into the English word, “power:”
“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” (Matthew 28:18)
The interesting thing here is that the scribes were the one who were actually granted authority and recognized by men within the synagogue. Jesus had no formal training. The scribes would have been educated under recognized teachers, and no doubt had their degrees and other credentials. Jesus had none of those things, but He had the full power (δύναμις – dynamis, meaning might or strength – like dynamite), and authority of God because He was (and is) God. The people within the synagogue could easily perceive the difference between the man-made authority of the scribes, and the God-given authority and power of Jesus.
Charles Clark Jr. is a man with no formal education who was called by God to start a church from scratch in Berlin, NJ. He began forty years ago with just his family and a small group of other people in a rented Methodist Church building. Today, Solid Rock Baptist Church numbers well over a thousand and meets in a large and beautiful facility. There have been thousands of people saved through the years, and countless lives impacted through the Bible teaching of Pastor Clark and the other men and women who were raised up and trained through his ministry. Yet, in the eyes of the world, Pastor Clark has no authority. He has no college degree or credentials that the world considers important. But one thing Pastor Clark has is God. He has diligently studied the Bible and followed the leading of the Holy Spirit and God has used him in amazing ways.
I am not minimizing the importance of education. I believe that every preacher or Bible teacher should get as much formal training as he possibly can, but the only authority that really matters as far as eternity is concerned is the authority given by God.
Christian, you have been commissioned with Jesus’ authority to take the gospel to the lost world around you. He has empowered you and authorized you to take the Word of God and preach and teach it to a world that is totally ignorant of the Truth. You have power and you have authority. Don’t be intimidated and silenced by those out there who may have more formal education than you. You have God within you and the Bible in your hand. Be bold as a lion and teach with God’s authority.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Just Me and God
Today’s Passage – Matthew 26 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 71 – 75; Proverbs 15)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Proverbs 27:15
Read the “1015 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from this morning’s reading passage – “Who Me?”
“Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.” (Matthew 26:38)
This was no doubt the worst night in the earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was in the process of being betrayed by one of the twelve. He knew also that Peter was going to deny even knowing Him, not once, but three times. The rest of the disciples were going to scatter and follow afar off, all of them distancing themselves from their leader in His time of need. In the midst of this agonizing night, Jesus desires that three of His closest friends spend some time in prayer with Him. Though it was very late, the Lord was obviously not going to get any sleep, and He asked Peter, James, and John to stay up with Him in prayer. Unfortunately, the men were weary and could not stay awake through the prayer meeting. It appears that Jesus was to go through this trial alone. It was just Him and His Father.
It is human nature to desire the company and encouragement of other people when we are going through our trials. However, in the end, it will only be God that will be with us throughout the darkest days of our lives. Our friends can’t possibly understand completely the pain that we are experiencing; they have their own concerns and troubles that plague them. Friends and family can be helpful at times, but we need to learn to wean ourselves off of dependence upon man for comfort and encouragement and instead turn to God. People can not possibly meet the spiritual needs that only God can meet. If you are going through a trial right now look to God. Don’t be too hard on your friends. Though God may use them to edify and encourage you partially, they are severely limited in their ability to help.
Having said that, let me now speak a word to those of us who may have some friends who are going through a difficult trial. Don’t try to be a replacement for God in their lives. You cannot meet their spiritual need: you can only point them to God, and encourage them to feed upon the Word of God. Don’t preach to them, and don’t promise them things that you cannot deliver: you are not God. Just try to be there for them as much as you can while continuing to point them to the Lord.
Posted in Thoughts from Matthew by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Inside, Then Out
Today’s Passage – Matthew 22 – 23 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 61 – 65; Proverbs 13)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 121
Read the “1013 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.” (Matthew 23:26)
Matthew chapter 23 contains a harsh rebuke by the Lord to the Pharisees. The Pharisees were the fundamentalist of their day. They had the right doctrines. In fact Jesus admonished the disciples to do what the Pharisees taught, but He was careful to warn them not to follow their example. They were hypocrites: they portrayed on the surface a godly lifestyle, yet on the inside they were anything but godly. They were a cold and judgmental bunch. They were quick to point out the flaws of others but they never looked within themselves to see if their own lives were right. They had all kinds of inward problems, yet they focused on pointing out the flaws of others.
Unfortunately today we often see Christians who we thought had “all of their ducks in a row,” only to discover that they are hiding some dark sin in their lives. They looked good on the outside but they were filthy on the inside. Don’t misunderstand, we all struggle with sin, but we must be careful that we come clean with the Lord through confession and then do our best to forsake the things that displease Him. God forgives and cleanses from us from our sin. More importantly though, we must not try to appear to others in a self-righteous way. As Bible-believing Christians today, we must be very careful that while we take our stand for all of the right doctrines and as we preach the truth about sin, that we make sure that we don’t portray ourselves as above sin. We are sinners just like everyone else. While we try to live our lives as righteously and separated as we can, we are still a people who struggle with sin ourselves. Most importantly, we must not think ourselves to be any better than those that are without. If it wasn’t for the grace of God we could certainly find ourselves involved in some of the vilest sins. We must have a genuine compassion for people who are struggling. We must never compromise the truth, but we should preach the truth with a tear in our eye.
Jesus was very hard on the religious crowd, the ones that didn’t think that they needed any help. However, you will find that though He never once compromised in either His living or His preaching, He always treated the lost sinner with compassion. He loved them to Himself. We must do the same thing. While we strive to live a holy, separated life let us also demonstrate love and compassion to the lost world around us. If they get upset with us for our position, so be it; but let them never be able to find fault with our disposition.
Christianity distinguishes itself from all other religions in that it does not focus on an outward conformity to a set of rules or standards but rather involves a relationship that results in an inward transformation. Paul admonished the Roman’s to not be conformed to the world but instead be transformed inwardly (Romans 12:2). Christianity is about a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ which results in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God within the heart of every believer. The Holy Spirit works from the inside and slowly but surely brings about a change in the outward behavior. True believers are “new creatures” because of the presence of God within them (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Posted in Thoughts from Matthew by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.