2012-09-14
Good Morning Dear Ones,
Last week, I was led to write about the facets of being in a friendship covenant. We must understand that such a relationship also, whether spoken of or not, also involve God. Today, as I’m led to begin the new segment of the “Our Covenant” messages called “Accepting Christ,” we will delve into more of what shapes our lives as participants with God and our human covenant partners in the Covenant of Grace.
God’s will for us is clearly seen in RO 13: 12-14, “The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not with orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissention and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” Before going any further, it’s useful to be reminded of the adversarial relationship of the body and the Spirit. GA 5: 16-17, “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.” This is at the basis of Paul’s utterances in RO 7: 14-24. Now, let’s look at RO 13: 12-14 more closely.
What is meant by “The night is nearly over; the day is almost here,” is that time is short before the Day of the Lord when Christ will appear. We must understand from MT 24: 36, that no one except the Father, not even Christ Himself, knows the exact day He will appear. This is critical to us feeling urgency to make any preparations needed in our lives to be ready. I’m guessing this is one of the very few or only things that the Father hasn’t shared with the Son. Of course the Father is banking on the Son’s immediate obedience in coming to us, which I believe is a sure bet. The second directives are a real challenge for some, not just for laborers or the unemployed, but also for business people and workers, who are gainfully employed. They are also a challenge for those at home raising children and for everyone. I refer to the directives not to engage in orgies or drunkenness, sexual immorality, debauchery [seduction from virtue; excessive intemperance and sensual pleasures], dissention or jealousy, really anything that satisfies the desires of the fleshly self. We are living in an increasingly evil world that is strongly talented in rationalizing and “pushing the envelope” in what it deems to be acceptable behavior. God makes is quite clear what is, but these people reject Him and His word. What we must remember is in 1 JN 4: 4, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One [Holy Spirit] Who is in you is greater than the one [the evil one] who is in the world.”
Another aspect to this is found in God’s words in IS 46: 10, “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come, I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’” What God is saying is that in the end, His will shall be made so. Those who persist in evil thoughts and behavior will indeed perish. Only those who are obediently faithful to Him will gain eternal life. I will put myself on a limb by mentioning the morals practiced in Hollywood among the entertainment industry. Those in the entertainment industry who believe in God are, for the most part, very socially liberal. They interpret the Scriptures differently that we do, or they reject them altogether. For example, they are finding ways to rationalize same sex marriage, as being acceptable by God. We respectfully disagree! GN 2: 22-24 makes this matter very clear after God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep and created Eve from one of his ribs. “Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib He had taken out of the man, and He brought her to the man. The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, for she was taken out of man.’ For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” There was no talk of a man being united to a man or a woman being united to a woman. Furthermore, we must understand that God also makes His disgust for lesbianism and homosexuality clearly known in the NT, in RO 1: 18-25. Fornication [sex before or without marriage] is equally detestable to God. Yet, it’s practiced regularly in our present society, even accepted in it. Accepting Christ is the only way out of this dilemma, and that means ridding oneself of these behaviors.
We are commanded to be Christ’s ambassadors in 2 COR 5: 20, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making the appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” What does that mean? It means set a Christ-like example with our own choices and behavior. Be willing to answer questions about our own hope of the resurrection and other Gospel matters from our own experience with living according to God’s will. Remember Christ is the second personality of our Triune God-God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Our directive in addition to our example is found in 1 PET 3: 15-17, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you, to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience in that those who speak maliciously to be ashamed of their slander. It is better if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than in doing evil.” The behavior of being a real covenant partner with the Lord gives a freedom from guilt, diseases transmitted, e.g. AIDS, and lack of God’s perspective on our trials. Now, that’s worth it!
PRAYER: O Lord, we come before Your mighty throne, having been brought to many thoughts about the struggles we have with avoiding temptations of the flesh. We know that we need Your help in dealing with them. When we are in church, it is easy to talk about them, because we are with our brothers and sisters in Christ. However, when we find ourselves at home, in the workplace, running errands, and socializing in more secular groups, the temptations are great. Eliphaz, Job’s friend, asks these questions in JOB 5: 1-2, “Call if you will, but Who will answer you? To which of the holy Ones will you turn? Resentment [jealousy] kills a fool, and envy slays the simple.” Lord, we know that turning to You through the Holy Spirit can help us when we are tempted to be jealous of what others have. Paul was accused of causing dissention by the lawyer, Tertullus, representing the high priest, Ananias, before the Roman governor, Felix, in AC 24: 5. “We have found this man to be a trouble-maker, stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world. He is a ring leader of the Nazarene sect and even tried to desecrate the temple; so, we seized him.” Being a leader of a sect not approved by the Romans in and of itself would be a contrary to their law. But a very wise Paul used this opportunity to mount his defense against these charges. Felix listened to the defense Paul mounted, as well as his witness of faith in Christ. In the end, Felix, who was hoping for a bribe to be paid, let Paul go. Accusations are the work of the devil, and we have the power to come against that in Christ’s holy name [EPH 1: 18-20]. Thank You, dear Abba, for giving us discernment and the protection we have for being righteous of the hope of eternal life. We offer You praise for Your intervention and presence in our lives! In Christ’s holy/mighty name, we pray. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: I’m led to conclude what is to be said on “Accepting Christ” and to begin a segment of the “Our Covenant” messages on what it means to be “A New Creation” in our covenant relationships with our Triune God. I am brought to 1 TIM 1: 3-5, which gives us insight into our covenant Partner’s will, uttered by Paul to his protégé, Timothy. “As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer, not to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God’s work—which is by faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and good conscience and a sincere faith.” We must claim EPH 1: 18-20, which lets us know, without uncertainty, that we have been given the same power to fend off the adversary that the Father used to raise Christ from death to eternal life. Our Covenant Partner blesses us mightily! Praise and thanks be to Him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2012. All Rights Reserved.
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