This is a bit long for a Word for the Day… hopefully you’ll enjoy God’s truth being pulled from the scriptures below, and it will be an encouragement to you.  (Sorry, I was a liberal arts undergrad, so I like to write, and the Holy Spirit doesn’t like my trying limit Him to 3 paragraphs or less sometimes, ha ha)

Do you sometimes try to see “how close” you can get to sin without actually falling into it?  I know I have.  What I want to show today is that whenever you compromise by allowing yourself to be tempted by sin – that itself is your sin.  Just because your sin has not manifested itself physically perhaps (yet) you have turned from the wisdom of God to a path that seems right in your own eyes.  Each of us must make a decision daily, who will reign?  Will I trust God’s will and walk by faith, or will I pursue my own will.  This is what it means in Romans 14:23 where it is said “whatever does not proceed from faith is sin”.

Below is a passage from Genesis that gives us a picture of this:

Genesis 13:2-13 – “² Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. ³And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, ⁴to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the LORD. ⁵And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, ⁶so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together, ⁷ and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land.
⁸Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. ⁹ Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” ¹⁰And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) ¹¹So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. ¹²Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. ¹³Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the LORD.   ¹⁴The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, ¹⁵for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. ¹⁶ I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. ¹⁷Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.” ¹⁸So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD.”

Ok, that’s a lot of scripture I know.. hopefully you’ll stay with me, I think it’ll be worth it. What I want to highlight out of this is the difference between walking by faith and sight.  First Abram pursued peace with his kinsman, Lot, in line with God’s will.  Matthew 5:9 says “blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God”.  Next we see that when offered the first choice of land, Lot did not first seek the Lord, he looked up, saw what looked best to him in his own eyes, and chose as he saw fit.  Abram still had not lifted up his eyes, when God spoke to him; he was waiting on the Lord.  Abram trusted God in faith, and was blessed by God greatly.  That is God’s will for us daily, that we would trust Him in every area of our lives/hearts, that He would glorify Himself by giving us more and more blessing and joy in knowing Him more.

The second point I want to make is the effect of Lot’s sin of turning away from the Lord to pursue a path that seemed best to him.  It doesn’t seem that bad at first right?  Land looks good – it’s well watered, good for food and all.  Doesn’t our first move towards sin look the same way, usually?  It’s said that Lot moved “as far as Sodom”.  Now the city of Sodom is noted as a wicked place, full of great sinners against the Lord.  See?  Lot’s not doing anything too bad.  He moved “as far as Sodom”, but he’s not actually living “in” Sodom with the other sinners, right?  Genesis 14 says that Sodom was attacked by another kingdom and was overtaken – “¹¹So the enemy took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way. ¹²They also took Lot, the son of Abram’s brother, who was dwelling in Sodom, and his possessions, and went their way.”  Now we see Lot had moved his tent from outside of Sodom, inside the city, and was dwelling there.  That doesn’t mean Lot was participating in the same things that the people in Sodom were, right?  Maybe he’s trying to be a good witness to them?  In Genesis 19 God sends two angels to rescue Lot from Sodom, before he destroys the city – ” ¹The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed himself with his face to the earth.”  For someone to be at the gate of the city greeting outsiders, this person would have had to have some prominence within the city.  They would have likely been an elected official.  Clearly at this point Lot had not only participated in sin alongside the people of Sodom, but was even enjoying representing them as their gate-keeper.

So the picture is drawn – a small step away from faith/trusting God moves us close to sin, where in time we dwell, where in time we would even delight in it.  James 1:13-15 – “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”  The fact that God still rescues Lot from certain death, shows God’s lovingkindness and mercy, but how much more would God have desired to bless Lot along with Abram had he not first turned to his own way?  I realize that each of us have struggles, where long ago we began on a path of sin that we’re still battling today – know that God is with you.  Just as God rescued Lot, our rescue is complete through the blood of Christ, we were on a path of sin, but now by God’s grace, we are being drawn closer and closer to Him.  Also know that God delights in our winning small battles every day – our victories are not in vain.  My exhortation today is for each of us to seek the Lord in all things, pray for wisdom, and trust God’s will wherever He leads you.  Do not allow yourself to be decieved, the first step away from God is sin – a step away from faith, a step of separation from him, and it is the first step towards a painful road of perpetual sin.  May God bless and keep you – know you’re prayed for.

Grace and Peace,
Adam

I’m going to move aside from straight teaching for one day to address something that I believe needs to be addressed.  Someone confronted me yesterday with something I already knew about myself, but for some reason this time it hit home a little deeper.  One of the biggest barriers in our relationship with our Heavenly Father is our relationship with my earthly fathers.  I think it is very difficult to preach reconciliation to God as the greatest good of the gospel, without addressing how God is altogether different and good from what we may have experienced in our earthly fathers.  This is not about me, but I want you to be encouraged because to varying degrees none of our earthly fathers modeled for us who God is, His perfect character.  Likewise, if God wills that I become a father, I will not model perfectly the goodness of God either.

I want to encourage you to do two things.  First, if were were so blessed to have an earthly father, to love and shepherd you well, pointing you consistently towards Christ, take a moment today to thank both God and him.  You have been blessed more than you know.  If, like most of us, that was not your experience growing up, take time today to forgive that person from your heart, knowing that we all are fallen sinners in need of grace.  Then ask God to extend even more grace to you, that you would know God rightly as your Heavenly father, in spite of that apparent deficiency.

Second, if you have trusted Christ as your savior and you love God as your treasure above all else, then engage Him today, in the Word, to know Him clearly as your Heavenly Father.  He is good, loving, always ready to forgive and receive you back, wanting only what is good for you.  Look at the character of Jesus in the gospels, knowing that the character of Christ is that of the Father, they are one.  Don’t you want to be reconciled to Him, to know and enjoy Him as your Heavenly Father more and more for all eternity?  I hope so, and I hope your time in the Word with Him today is a comfort and blessing to you.

Luke 11:11-13 – “What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Grace and Peace,
Adam

James 4:6b-8:  “Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

I’m often amazed at the games people try to play with God and themselves.  (I’ve done these all myself in the past)  We will try to “make deals” with God, we will try to justify sin to God and ourselves, we will minimize our sin in light of what others around us may be doing – All of this is not helpful of course, nor does it make sense.  God is God and knows our every thought, every intention of our heart.  We’re only fooling ourselves.

Gen 6:5 – “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

God does not respond to these attempts at conversation because He is not glorified by deal making, and He cannot justify sin.  God is pleased in being made much of, which is really just to say He is pleased to be shown to be glorious as He actually is.  He is made much of by giving grace where none is due, out of an overflow of His love and mercy.  Look to the parable of the Pharisee and tax collector in Luke 18:10-14 – “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

My encouragement today is to humble yourself before God.  If there’s an area of your life that has laid hidden, stop lying to yourself and Him about where you are with that sin, and simply confess to Him.  Seek His forgiveness and grace to overcome your sin, and gain more of Him.  Know that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)  Then be transparent with other Christians with your sin to avail yourself to the means of grace God has for you.  Humbly draw near to God, and He will draw near to you, for our good and His glory.

Grace and Peace,
Adam

You may have found a tension in the Bible between being told that you do not have to be perfect to be saved, yet, if you have saving faith, your life should be increasingly perfect as God is.  This can be very troubling, to try to walk both lines, because as Christians we draw great peace from the assurance of our salvation.  Unfortunately, this is in part how legalism, to try to be saved through your works, can creep in, and be appealing to some.  How then, can we enjoy the full assurance of our salvation, without legalism?

Here are some verses juxtaposed against each other, to hopefully illustrate this tension:

Jesus Came to Save Sinners from Judgment
John 12:47-48  ⁴⁷If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. ⁴⁸ The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.

Jesus Will Judge Sinners
Hebrews 10:26-27 – “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.”

We are Saved Apart from Works
Ephesians 2:8-9 – “⁸For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

We are Saved For Works
Ephesians 2:10 – ¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

We are saved through Belief (Faith) Which Results in Confession of that Truth
Romans 10:9-10 – “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

There is a False Confession Not Accompanied by Works
Luke 6:46 – “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?”

There is a False Confession Accompanied by Works
Matthew 7:21-23 – “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”

I could go on and on with examples here, and I’m fighting not to go off on a tangent about how important it is to see and meditate on the full counsel of God vs. just one verse (clearly shown from above).  But my heart here today is for your encouragement as you encounter this tension in the Bible, that you would KNOW you are saved, that Christ’s blood covers you fully, that you are His, and He is yours.

What differentiates saving faith that produces works from counterfeit faith?  In short, the Holy Spirit.  Manifestly, this comes from the affections of our heart, fueled by a passion for God’s glory emanating from the Holy Spirit within us.  By the grace of God our eyes have been opened to see Christ as God, Lord, Savior, Friend.  There is no longer enmity between us and Him because of sin, He has removed everything separating us from Him now and forever.  We are free to enter into the joy of our master for all eternity.  What better news could we know and savor, than this?  Compare your current life struggles with knowing for the next 80 Billions years, you will have more joy than you can imagine in the presence of God?  If, by faith, we have come to know Him, to taste this joy even in part – we will want more of Him.  For those of us who have tasted what it means to know Christ, the world will no longer seem the source of pleasure, but unsavory.  We will not be satisfied by temporary pleasures the world would offer us, but we will seek after the fullness of joy for all eternity found only in Christ.

So then, if there is any love for God in the face of Jesus Christ in your heart, that moves you towards Him and away from sin – you can know you are saved.  You are not saved because of your works, but because your love for God from your heart will progressively move you closer to Him and further from sin.  We all will struggle, Christ died to save struggling sinners.  Hope you all had a great weekend, know you’re prayed for, and our treasure is secure in Christ.

Grace and Peace,
Adam

Romans 6:16 – “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?”

Each of us is under control.  Every day we make decisions about what we will allow to influence and lead us.  Without the Holy Spirit, we are in bondage to sin – we would never know the joy of a reconciled relationship with God, and continually would pursue happiness apart from him – the lie that leads to death.  Have you ever considered what it means for the Holy Spirit to dwell in you continually (and forever).  If not, I’d encourage you to stop here for a moment – dwell on that.  The fullness of God, in all His infinite might, power, divine nature, is in you.  Sin is in you too, and it’s a big deal – it cost Jesus very much.

These two – Sin and the Spirit are at war within you, and each of us decides day to day, moment to moment, which side we’re going ally ourselves to.  Both will control us, sin will produce addiction and separation from God, the Spirit knows everything in your future and wants to work perfectly to give you peace and joy in drawing you closer to God.  Sometimes it’s helpful to do some self-assessment to know where we stand.  Do you meet with God in the morning over prayer/His Word or do you sleep in… again.  Do you meet up with a Christian brother or sister to encourage them, or do you put yourself in front of the latest TV “reality” show.  Do you intentionally make war on sin?  Or do you have areas of your life that you have not turned over to God?  Do you arm yourself day by day with God’s Word?  Or do you try to see “how far” you can go without falling into sin.  Each of us can ask ourselves these questions, and we all will fail in some areas.  God is not demanding our perfection, but to keep submitting to His leading – to keep running the race.

My heart’s desire is that we all will continue to encourage one another to present ourselves to the leading of God by the Spirit.  This is the Spirit not of bondage, like sin, but of freedom, to a fullness of joy in enjoying God.  May God bless you and keep you today, may we all present and submit ourselves to the Spirit’s leading, knowing that only in Him do we find life, and may we all finish the race well.

Grace and Peace,
Adam

One of the biggest struggles I see in many Christian’s lives is how they deal with life, when life doesn’t go their way.  Relationship struggles, work struggles, sickness, disease, death, etc., all can lead someone to question why God is allowing this to happen, or even to become angry with God.  While in those deep moments of hurt/pain it is not helpful to tell someone that God is going to use everything to good, it is important to press that truth into our hearts now to prepare us for the struggles to come.

In the book of Genesis, Jacob had many sons, but one he especially loved named Joseph.  Joseph’s brothers’ jealousy eventually led them to sell their brother into slavery, and he ended up in Egypt, out of Israel.  God blessed Joseph there, eventually raising him in power, second only to Pharaoh himself.  Then there came a famine in Israel, and everyone was searching for food, including Joseph’s brothers and father.  Joseph’s brothers and father eventually came to Egypt, where they found Joseph.  Joseph’s brothers were afraid of what he would do to them, however Joseph dealt gently with them, and provided food and supplies for them.  In Genesis 50:20, Joseph speaks to his brothers (who had sold him into slavery) – “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”  Of course, this is a picture of what Jesus did on the cross for us – what others meant for evil, God meant for good, that many people should be kept alive.

There are so many promises of God, but perhaps none more comforting and sweet than is told us in Romans 8:28 – “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Nothing “catches God off guard”.  He is our sovereign Lord and King, and he reigns, and has infinite power to bring about all that he desires.  As Christians, we can know that even if in our small view of things when we cannot see the good, we have a big God, who loves us, will never leave us, and will always act to draw us closer to him, for our good and His glory…even when it hurts.  Hope you all have a great day with the Lord!  Know you’re prayed for.

Grace and Peace,
Adam

Many times people speak of their faith as what they “believe”, and by believe, they mean what ideas they have acknowledged as true in their mind.  Would it surprise you then to know that when someone says they “believe” in God, that they are not differentiating themselves at all from anyone else?  Romans 1 tells us that everyone knows that He exists, that He is eternal, that He is our divine creator (vs 20), and even that He is our righteous judge (vs 32).  So the random person on the street already believes these things about God, even if they have suppressed that belief through their repeated sinful actions.

James 2:18-20 says this: ” ¹⁸But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. ¹⁹ You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! ²⁰Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?”

What James is illustrating is that mere head knowledge about God, isn’t faith in God, specifically, faith in Christ as our Sovereign Lord and Savior.

1 John 2:3-6 explains this more: “³And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. ⁴Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, ⁵but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: ⁶whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”

What’s important to know is that neither James, nor John are suggesting that our works are in any way a cause for faith, or a separate thing apart from faith that warrants or assures us of our salvation.  What both are saying is that if your faith and hope in life is in Jesus Christ, His death as payment for all your sins past, present, and future, and His righteousness counted as yours.  If that faith is genuine, God’s Spirit will be given to you.  If God’s Spirit is in you, then your desires will change so that your joy is rooted not in pursuing pleasure apart from God, but pursuing pleasure in knowing God and making Him known.  If you see someone watching a football game, it’s safe to believe they enjoy football.  Likewise, if someone visits the mountains for a vacation, it’s safe to believe they enjoy the mountains.  The Spirit of God delights in the glory of God.  If our faith was truly wrought by the Holy Spirit’s work on our heart, and He dwells in us, we will find joy in manifesting the glory of God in our lives.  The Holy Spirit is the wellspring of life in us, He overflows and compels us into actions that validate His presence.

My encouragement to you is two-fold.  One, if your “faith” has always been all head knowledge, and has never pierced the affections of your heart – if your experience of Christianity has been more about checking off a list of to do’s that allows you some benefit of community or self-viewed morality, but in truth there has been little to no genuine affection for God, seek God in that.  He’s ready, and He will never say no.  Secondly, if you do know and love God earnestly; is He compelling you towards action in an area of your life that you have been resisting Him?  Maybe He’s calling you to serve somewhere that’s going to bring you out of your comfort zone, maybe He’s calling you to confess sin, maybe he’s calling you to reconcile a past relationship, or remove yourself from people who are drawing you away from Jesus.  Whatever it is, know that God works all things towards good for those who love Him, for those who have been called according to His purpose – seek Him in His Word for confirmation, pray, and take a step out in faith – submit to His leadings – you will never regret it.

Let us continue to encourage each other to love God and each other not in word or talk, but in deed and in truth.  Know you’re prayed for, and God is now and will always be with you.

Grace and Peace,
Adam

I love the book of Colossians.  God’s Word there helps me feel the weight of what it means to be redeemed by Christ, to know Who it is that Redeemed me, and to know Who awaits me in Heaven.

In Colossians 1:26-27, Paul is writing to a church that has a large amount of Gentiles (Non-native Jews) in the church.  Most of us are not native Jews, so that puts us in this camp.  In those verses Paul writes – “the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. ²⁷ To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

Each of us enjoys a trip to the ocean, or mountains, to stand amongst the massiveness of God’s creation.  There, we feel a sense of peace and joy, admiring the beauty that we see around us.  As Saints, those who have been declared righteous through faith in Christ, God has given us His Holy Spirit, to dwell within us.  This is described in Colossians as “Christ in you” because what is true of God the Father, and of the Son, is true of the Spirit, they are distinct, yet the same (we’ll save discussion of the Trinity for another day!)  So what does it mean for Christ to be in you, and knowing this truth, for it to produce a hope of glory?

Ephesians 1:13-14 tells us – “¹³In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”  Through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we are guaranteed an inheritance – Christ.

This should be cause for rejoicing!  You’re never going to die – you’re going to spend all eternity in infinite joy at knowing God.  Some of you may question whether the Holy Spirit is in you or not – if you do, you’re not alone, but please don’t despair.  Know that if there is any love for Christ, as you come to know Him rightly in the Bible; that love is of the Spirit.  Even the demons know who God is, but they do not love Him.  They do not want to honor God as God, we do.  Even if we struggle, our inheritance is assured because of the Holy Spirit in us – He is our hope of glory.

Grace and Peace,
Adam

Where do you turn to when things do not go as you’d like for them to?  When things go wrong, things get frustrating, how do you seek comfort, or whom do you seek comfort from?  Most everything in life will become clear when you realize that there is an omnipotent holy God, who works all things by His will to point us to our greatest need and desire – Himself.  This is the most loving thing He can do for us, because He is the greatest good for us.

This omnipotent loving God, who made the heavens and earth, has shown Himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ, and He wants us to know that He is always with us, and is our great Helper, if we turn to Him.  His help does not always mean comfort, but we can know that His help will always be for our greatest good, and our eternal hope is secure in Him.  The scripture below comes from Isaiah 51:12-14

¹²“I, I am he who comforts you;
who are you that you are afraid of man who dies,
of the son of man who is made like grass,
¹³and have forgotten the LORD, your Maker,
who stretched out the heavens
and laid the foundations of the earth,
and you fear continually all the day
because of the wrath of the oppressor,
when he sets himself to destroy?
And where is the wrath of the oppressor?
¹⁴ He who is bowed down shall speedily be released;
he shall not die and go down to the pit,
neither shall his bread be lacking.

Grace and Peace,
Adam