2009-01-23
Good Morning Cherished of God,
The Holy Sprit leads me to continue writing about the question: Are our hearts teachable? This is in conjunction with our learning to make judgments in accordance with God’s will. We must remember that Christ, in His Sermon on the Mount in MT 7: 2, has told us, “For God will judge you the same way you judge others, and He will apply to you the same rules you apply to others.” For the last few weeks, we have been looking at this verse side by side with others that help to clarify it from God’s perspective. Last week it was RO 14: 7-9b “None of us lives for himself only, none of us dies for himself only. If we live, it is for the Lord that we live, and if we die, it is for the Lord that we die. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For Christ died and rose to life in order to be the Lord of the living and of the dead…All of us will stand before God to be judged by Him.” Today, we’ll begin by looking at IS 45: 23, which is actually cited in RO 14: 11, “As surely as I am the living God, says the Lord, everyone will kneel before Me, and everyone will confess that I am God.” The bottom line is given at the end of RO 14: 11, “Every one of us, then, will have to give an account of himself to God.”
Whether or not a person should be afraid of this truth is directly proportional to the way he has lived out his life and the faith he has in the Lord. We must not only ask the question about whether or not we are teachable, but we must do it in the light of openness and honesty with ourselves. If we find the answer wanting in obedient faithfulness, then we must use the ability God has given us to make adjustments in our lives to improve our ways to more conform with God’s will. There are many ways for the evil one tries to thwart this process. Some of them are arrogance, stubbornness, lack of understanding of God’s will, influence by the ungodly people, self-righteousness, and laziness. None of those traits are ones a true believe wants to have. God has asked us to “be holy because I am holy” [LV 11: 44-45; LV 19: 2; 1 PET 1: 16]. Our attitudes and behavior should not give piety a bad name. If we really are living close to or even within God’s will, I think He will let us know that by giving us “that peace that transcends human understanding” spoken of in PHIL 4: 7. We will not be smug or brag about this; instead, we will simply have peace of mind.
Paul’s argument in RO 14 hits a highpoint in verse 13, “So then, let us stop judging one another. Instead, you should decide never to do anything that would make your brother stumble or fail into sin.” This answers the old question: Am I my brother’s keeper? Indeed, we are, in an emotionally healthy way. Our own efforts to adjust our principles and practices to fit God’s will should present an example for others new, unsure of, or struggling in some way with their own faith in Lord. There is nothing self-righteous about the way this example is presented. We must each remember that if we had already attained sufficient purity and perfection, we would already be enjoying a heavenly reward with the Lord. So, we are all His “works in progress,” as far as that is concerned. Thus, we have no excuse to set ourselves up as what children call “goody goodies.” Throughout the epistles of Paul, he reminds us of God’s will for our behavior. The following thee passages are examples. RO 14: 19, “So then, we must always aim at those things that bring peace and that help strengthen one another.” 1 COR 1: 31, “So then, as the Scripture [IS 29: 14] says, ‘Whoever wants to boast must boast of what the Lord has done.’” Nowhere do we see that it’s okay to boast of what we have done. 1 COR 6: 9-10, “Surely you know that the wicked will not possess God’s Kingdom. Do not fool yourselves; people who are immoral or who worship idols or are adulterers or homosexual perverts or who steal or are greedy or are drunkards or who slander others or are thieves-none of these will possess God’s Kingdom.”
People who commit any sin as a lifestyle with no desire to stop or to confess their sin before the Lord are ones who hurt the faith of others who might be new or weak in their faith. If they do this knowingly, then depth of their sin is even greater. The words “not possessing God’s Kingdom” are a euphemism for the conscious eternal torment that is hell. None of us wants that! Consider how blessed we really are that God is patient in giving us the time to take a good look at our sinning and find ways to stop it. 2 PET 3: 9, “The Lord is not slow to do what He has promised, as some think. Instead, He is patient with you, because He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants all to turn away from their sins.” We are our brother’s keeper in another way too. RO 14: 16, “Do not let what you regard as good get a bad name.” An example of this comes to mind right away. A non-believing teenaged girl began dating a believing young man only one year older than she was. This young man lived a clean-cut lifestyle and attended a parochial school. God was giving him the opportunity to set a good example for his new girlfriend, but instead, he bragged about his faith and made her feel like she could never attain such a life for herself, because she was not born into a family of faith. They soon broke up, and the girl went on to reject Christianity with a negative gusto! It is why Christ teaches us to be humble and gentle, as He is.
PRAYER: O Lord, You have given us the new commandment and lead us, through the Holy Spirit, to consider it in all its possible implications. JN 13; 34-35, “And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are My disciples.” In the spirit of the example above [and RO 14: 15], we must realize that whatever we do for Christ is to be done reflecting the love He has for us. His love is so great that He sacrificed His physical life on the cross, so that we may be saved and be given the gift of Your Spirit to guide and encourage us [JN 3: 16; JN 14: 16-18]. By our faith in Your Son, we are judged innocent and acceptable in Your sight [RO 4: 3, 23-25]. You have commanded us to live lives of righteousness in Christ, promising the reward of eternal life, if we endure in these lives. PS 94:12-15, “Lord, blessed is the man You instruct, the one whom you teach your Law. l You give him rest from the days of trouble until a pit is dug to trap the wicked The Lord will not abandon His people; He will not desert those who belong to Him.” Our willingness to listen to Your instructions, live by Your standards, and dedicate our lives to fulfilling Your will is a measure of our cooperation in Your efforts to sanctify us. How grateful we are that You are willing to go to the trouble, trouble which could rob the patience of other humans, even our earthly parents, to gradually bring us to purification and perfection. Christ’s mission statement and Your own [in JN 6: 39-40 and EPH 1: 4-5] reveal Your love for us. You want us to return to Your side and were willing to sacrifice Your only Son, Jesus Christ, to that He could win us victory over spiritual death [HE 2: 14-15]. We want to fulfill our part of the Covenant of Grace, just as You do every day. To You, and You along, belongs the glory, honor, thanks, and praise! [PS 115: 1]. We pray all of these things in the holy and mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
As our discussion of the question about how teachable we are continues, go on next week examining RO 14: 1-15: 1- this time beginning with RO 14: 17 as it stands next to MT 7: 2. There is no one who can explain Himself better than God Himself. It’s the reason why we are encouraged to study and meditate over a verse or passage. If we don’t understand it or need further clarification, we then, look at the cross-references. If further understanding needed, then and only then, do we go to a reliable commentary. Keeping verses in the context intended must be the rule of the day. This approach to study of God’s word really helps us to see the continuity and perfection of His teaching. It’s consistency is also a reality for us. Nowhere else can we experience the supernatural hunger for more and blessings thereof that we see in this kind of study of God’s word. It’s appropriate then, for us to once again read the precious words of 2 TIM 3: 16-17, “All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living, so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed.” God has many ways to teach us to be godly judges. He encourages us to pray, listening for Him first and then, engaging in a two-way communication with Him. He also teaches us by the circumstances of our lives, taking us step by step through the challenges we face to strengthen our faith and dependence on Him. No matter what we do or what attitude we take, we are always best served by study, prayer, and submitting to His will.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn