The principle being talked about here is God’s law vs the law of sin. It’s kind of like that image of having a angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other, each trying to persuade you to do things their way. Paul went on to say, “I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.” (Romans 7:22-23) These two diametrically opposed laws are constantly at war within us…it’s just a matter of who we listen to or not…but as Romans 6:16 warns us, “You are slaves to the one whom you obey.”
Judges 2:8-10 ” Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what He had done for Israel.”
Joshua and the elders of Israel had failed to disciple or mentor their successors…thus when all had died there was left this huge void of historical truth about God. This new generation was not acquainted with the plight of their forefathers in Egypt, nor were they familiar with the 40 year journey in the desert or how God had supplied all their needs. And because they lacked this intimate knowledge of God, they succumbed to the false religions of the area. We look across our land today and wonder why so many who were raised in the Church are now so far away from it. The simple truth is found in the lack of discipleship…of a concerted and concentrated effort to bring seasoned Christians together with young people to mentor, encourage, and grow them into strong Believers. Years back this term was called Multiplication Discipleship…the act of mentoring someone in order that they may then mentor someone, and on and on. You may think you’re too old to do the Lord’s work, but mentoring a young Believer with all your wealth of wisdom and Godly insight is like giving into the Kingdom for eternity.
II Corinthians 1:8-9 ” We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, Who raises the dead.”
I would guess that all of us at one time or another has felt the crushing weight of affliction, trouble, and loss. It can come to the point of utter devastation when death sounds like a good idea… and frankly, the only way out. But it’s at that point, when we are at the end of ourselves, that God reaches down. When all we can see is blackness… He will bring light and clarity. When all we can feel is despair…He will bring hope and promise. So when suffering overwhelms and suffocates you, remember… God is there.
Psalm 119:9-11 ” How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your Word. I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commands. I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You.”
The question asked is just as deep as it was when this Psalm was originally written…how can a young man (or young woman) keep their way pure? In today’s world of excess, immediate gratification, and debasement it’s even more difficult to maintain self-discipline, purity of conduct, and good decision-making. So the idea here is to use God’s Word as a shield or buffer against the urges to wander. If we read Job 22:21-23 we see the three musts of maintaining God’s Word in our heart. They are: Submit to God, accept instruction from Him, and return to the Almighty when we’ve strayed. God’s command for us all, no matter what age, is summed up well in Deuteronomy 6:5, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
John 8:12 ” When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’ “
This verse is a study in darkness and light…happiness and unhappiness…hope and ruin. Especially this year as the days have become shorter and shorter I think we all have been suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder. And so we decorate for Christmas…dispelling the darkness with twinkling lights, shining ornaments, and glowing candles. But the world around us needs more than to see superficial Christmas decorations…they need the light of Jesus Christ. When Jesus said, “Follow Me.” it meant so much more than just following Him. It starts with believing and trusting in His death and resurrection…then obeying, learning, and acting according to His example…and finally, it’s in abiding in His fellowship and sharing in His sufferings through self-denial. That’s how we can “shine” in the darkness around us…or as Matthew 5:16 tells us, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds, and praise your Father in heaven.” This darkest part of the year will be for many a very unhappy time. They have lost loved ones, jobs, and hope. So as you follow Jesus you can be that light that brings them promise. For it is written, “The path of righteousness is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.” (Proverbs 4:18) Be that light to someone today.
I Kings 8:60 “…so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other.”
In this Chapter of I Kings Solomon is dedicating the Temple he has built to the Lord. But it tells us in verse 55 that he then stood and blessed the people, reminding them that all other nations would be watching them and their faithfulness towards God. Further warning them, “But your hearts must be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by His decrees and obey His commands, as at this time. (I Kings 8:61) Other nations might of been impressed by the magnificence of the Temple, but Solomon reminded the people it would be their total obedience and trust in their God that would make the real difference.
I Corinthians 3:3 ” You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? “
Paul is describing what we would call now a days Carnal Christianity. Believers that call themselves Followers of Christ yet are the most negative and critical among the Body of Believers. They are the first to sow discord and dissension over insignificant details…and when they see good in others, rather than celebrating with them, they become envious and resentful…attempting to discount and even discredit the good work that was done. In Galatians 5:19-20, Paul illustrates acts of the sinful nature…and then goes on to list 15 examples…quite a list I must say…so no wonder he was chastising the Church in Corinth for its worldliness, he wanted them to move beyond their pettiness and selfish ambition.
I Samuel 15:10-11 ” Then the Word of the Lord came to Samuel: ‘I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from Me and has not carried out My instructions.’ “
Saul was the first king of Israel, initially anointed to that position by the prophet Samuel. But Saul showed himself to be a man with no regard for God’s Word or Will. Rather, Saul desired to do things his way in a helter-skelter manner filled with jealously, unrepentance, and blatant disobedience to God. It finally got to the point that God basically said, “Enough is enough, I am taking My anointing from you.” (I Samuel 15:23) And so we find Samuel delivering God’s message of regret to a pompous Saul.
Matthew 26:20-22 ” When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, He said, ‘I tell you the truth, one of you will betray Me.’ They were very sad and began to say to Him one after the other, ‘Surely not I, Lord?’ “
“One of you will betray Me.” You can only imagine what was going through the minds of the apostles. All but Judas were thinking, “How could one of us double cross our Lord? “It surely can’t be me!” But to add further insult to injury, Jesus informed them a little while later that they would all likewise fall away and desert Him. (Matthew 26:31) Betraying Jesus is much easier than we think, and it happens in a flash of hesitation, fear, or indecision. For anytime we don’t stand for Him and the truth… we betray our Lord.
Galatians 2:21 ” I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the Law, Christ died for nothing.”
If the Pentateuch, or the Mosaic Law, had the power to save and give us eternal life…Jesus wouldn’t have had to come to earth to redeem mankind. Paul explains this further in Galatians 3:21 when he writes, “Is the Law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a Law had been given that could impart life then righteousness would certainly have come by the Law.” No Law has the power to give eternal life…only the atoning death of Christ can do that….given to us by the grace of God.
Safetypinlove 