2019-07-26
Good Morning Dear Ones,
I’m commanded by the Holy Spirit to continue supplying Scriptures that support the book of Colossians and delve into the relationship between our Lord and those who believe in Christ, as well as between ourselves and other people. This is at times a tough task, because we must consider these things with utter honesty and openness. While it’s not fun to confess one’s sins, it is necessary to gaining eternal life. Truthfully, there is nothing more important in life than this is. The idea here is to come closer to thoughts and behavior which bring us closer to that which pleases God. We all know that giving up well-worn habits is hard to do. Because it’s impossible to list every sin mankind commits, the apostle Paul, who is the human author-- inspired by God-- who wrote this epistle to Colossae, Hierapolis, and Laodicea, lists some important ones, in COL 3: 5, 8-9. They are sexual immorality, indecency, lust, evil passions, and greed (a form of idolatry), old destructive habits, and lying. Sadly, modern day mankind is still committing these same sins, just as those in the past did. 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 who 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.”
Oftentimes, great creativity is used for wrongs. Imagine a world where that creativity is used for right! I believe it would be quite a different world than the one we know today. If I sound cynical, it’s because these sins are still a part of our everyday lives, even though we are supposed to be more civilized than people in the past. Instead of a troglodyte (cave man) taking something he wants and using his cudgel to hit its owner on the head, our society’s ways of getting what it wants are more subtle, but still amount to the same thing. Here’s an example. An employer who decides to save money by firing good employees who have built up good will with their customer base, in favor of new immigrants who can be paid less to do the same job. To add insult to injury, the employer forces his former employees to train the new help to take over their jobs, by withholding their severance pay till they do so. This is an example of truly unfair behavior, even though it’s legal for this employer to do this. One must ask: why can’t we learn from the foolish mistakes of the past?
The first step in any solution to this problem would be to insist that people study historical anecdotes of both individual sinning and societal sinning. The evils of Adolf Hitler in the Holocaust show how too much power concentrated in too few hands can lead to horrendous chaos. The failure of Communism can be seen in the corruption and suffering it left people. The excesses of Roman occupation and lifestyle led to the downfall of that society. These are just a few examples. God has promised to put an end to evil, in both the book of Daniel and in Revelation. However, the exact date when this will happen is not given. I believe that is in the hope that mankind will recognize the traps the evil one sets for us and avoid them. There is more evidence at this time that the evil one continues to make progress in his goals than the opposite. I hope you will join me in praying that will soon change. We need to have faith in God’s assertion [1 COR 15: 55-58, HO 13: 14, and IS 25: 8] that in our faith in Christ and His personal sacrifice, He has won victory over spiritual death for us.
GA 5: 19-21 also lists human sins-such things as idol worship, witchcraft, jealousy, destructive anger, envy ambition, drunkenness, and engaging in orgies. Once again, we are told, “…those who do these things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” So many warnings would not be included in the Scriptures, if our Lord wasn’t concerned about serial evildoers, regardless of when they are doing their wrongs or what human society in which they belong. We need only view how the standards of the media have changed away from what pleases God to know our society faces the same fate that past ones have. As I see it, obedient faith in Jesus Christ is the only way out of this sad outcome!
PRAYER: O Lord, it is difficult to write or read today’s topic. As faithful believers in Jesus Christ, we see what is happening around us. In consideration of the sinning of mankind, we can have greater sensitivity for the concerns that prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Hosea, Christ Himself, and the apostles Paul, John, and James had. And yet, through Your faithfulness toward us, we can rest in the knowledge that even those who are martyred will be given their just reward. REV 6: 9-11 is true, and we must believe that You are a Promise-keeper. You have told us, in 1 COR 10: 13, “Every test that you have experienced is the kind that normally comes to people. But God keeps His promise, and He will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, He will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out.” Whether or not we are martyred, we must remain loyal and honest before You, taking You at your word. You are here for us and won’t abandon us [PS 9: 9-10]. You are near to us and want us to place our sorrows with You. Your love for us is both eternal and unconditional. We offer You praise and thanks for loving us this much and for Your protection, even though we don’t deserve them [EPH 2: 8-9]. We acknowledge Your superior wisdom and power, and we pledge You our obedient faithfulness. In Christ’s holy/mighty name, we pray. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: I’m led to examine EPH 5: 3-10 and 1 JN 3: 4-10, which deal with living in the light as God’s children. These passages will continue supplying support to what we’ve already examined in the book of Colossians. I know that today’s devotion wasn’t emotionally easy to read. However, we all know people who are sinning or have sinned ourselves. Humans are created with many abilities, and one of them is to choose to walk away from sinning and to come closer to the Lord. He is our best rooting section and wants us to join Him in victory over the evil one. I know that in my own life, I am trying to do this by working to uncover any sinning I’m doing, to confess it openly before the Lord and to stop the thoughts and behavior once and for all. Are we perfect? No, of course not. However, we can be even better than we are. We are sinners, hopefully in transition toward pleasing the Lord. We don’t have to be great; we need to trust in the Lord to lead us to where He wants us to be. PS 145: 18-19, “He is near to those who call to Him, who call to Him with sincerity. He supplies the needs of those who honor Him; He hears their cries and saves them.” We should never forget the grace He extends to us every day. As the Psalmist has said, in PS 145: 2-3, “Every day I will thank You; I will praise You forever and ever. The Lord is great and is to be highly praised; His greatness is beyond understanding.” The Lord always deserves our praise and thanks!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
Lynn Johnson 2019 All Rights Reserved.
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