“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.” Humans are creatures yielded to something or someone. While sinful men often boast of their “freedom” to do as they choose, it is their choosing that reveals their slavery. The desires of sinful flesh are only to do evil and sin. Redeemed children of God are not free from their flesh, and therefore struggle against these same desires. The wonderful reality of salvation is that we do not have to let them rule us. The indwelling Holy Spirit of God grants us power to be free from allegiance to sin. For us, it becomes a matter of yielding our members. Our challenge becomes submission to God’s will and rejection of our own. The battle for righteousness rages daily within us, yet the Lord has made us well-able to finish victorious. If you are finding yourself on the losing end today, remember that overcoming power comes from God alone. Look to Him, yielding to His will moment by moment. Start by winning a small battle this hour, then look toward higher goals in the next.
“For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus didn’t accept our death sentence because He thought we were “good enough people”. The love of God took into account our wretched sinful estate, redeeming us as a result of the Father’s goodness, not our own. If we had been acceptable in and of ourselves, we would not have needed a Savior. These facts make what Jesus did all the more compelling! He was the only son of God, while we were the enemies of God. He was entitled to glory and honor, while we were deserving only death. He was capable of calling upon the hosts of heaven to prevent His death and humiliation, while we were helpless and bound for Hell. Even as we struggled against God’s will, He was suffering to fully embrace it. Jesus willingly endured the cross because of His perfect love for the world He created. To reject His sacrifice, attempting to gain God’s favor on our own is both a failing strategy, and an offense to the Savior. Men should instead embrace Him, and live a life worthy of Him.
“He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.” Before we can take faithful action for God, a fervent devotion to Him, and an unwavering belief in His promises must be present in our hearts. When we observe the obedience of Abraham, we observe a man that first put his faith in God, being “fully persuaded” He would keep His word. The end result of this belief and obedience was God’s glory. Our Father’s will is that all His children bring Him glory through their loving devotion and fervent faith. When reading Abraham’s story today, we should praise God for His perfect character and determine to follow Abraham’s example. It should remind us that God will never let us down, and serve as an encouragement that, though sometimes difficult, following our Savior is not impossible. Circumstances can put us under pressure and tempt us to doubt, but our Lord is absolutely trustworthy and on our side!
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:” Every person alive is a sinner, separated from a holy God by actions consistent with an inherited sin nature. No work of our own can bridge the gap between us and God. Only one person, through His voluntary bloodshed and death could reconcile us. He was sent by God, born of a virgin, free from the stain of sin, perfect in character and behavior, and possessing the full embodiment and essence of the one true God, Jehovah. The Father chose, before time began, to fulfill His own requirement of a blood atonement in the sacrifice of His only son. Jesus Christ was fully God, born into His creation fully human, and when He died on the cross and was buried, death could only grasp Him three days. Rising from the dead He conquered sin, was proven alive by many witnesses, and returned to His father to plead the case of men who place their faith in Him. This magnificent work of love and grace has afforded us the opportunity to be saved from sin, death and Hell. If you have not placed your faith in Christ, I plead with you to call upon Him, accepting Him as your personal savior today!
“Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.” Much of the Christian life borders on hypocrisy. We are charged, as sinful humankind, to live a holy life; this is a monumental and nearly impossible task. We must understand that instances will inevitably arise that require our “judgment” of another person. Those who have a keen awareness of their own sinfulness will act in humility and Godly restraint. Problems arise when we forget our place, disregard our own behavior, and take upon ourselves a position above our fellow man. God never struggles with judgment, for His character is absolutely perfect. All of His decisions and actions are performed “according to truth”. While we sometimes jump to conclusions, fail to obtain facts, and assume the worst, He is altogether righteous in His awareness and execution. Our only hope for holiness in our confrontation of sin is to rely on Him wholly. Praise God we do not make final decisions on the position of others in the sight of God! Let’s decide not to point fingers at others; instead living in a marvelous balance of humility and obedience, relying upon God for eternal judgments.
“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.” You can’t work your way through Romans chapter one without pausing for a moment on this passage. God’s existence and authority are often denied, but never with credibility or effectiveness. Men of “science” write volumes in an effort to undermine Him, while their very words testify of His reality. Bible believers understand that man is always searching for justification, and a release from accountability to God. The entirety of many a lost man’s lifetime is spent in search of meaning outside God’s will. While Divine attributes are made manifest in all creation; they are most specifically revealed in the hearts of men. It is that nagging awareness of our Creator that lays upon us our responsibility to God, and forces us to either rebel or surrender. Let us never assume that the unbeliever stands on neutral ground. The Father has made mankind aware of His eternal power and Godhead; refusal to acknowledge it is simple rebellion. Let’s pray (and work) to see many in this position turn to Christ.
“So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” These verses are often quoted separately, even though their content is inextricably linked. One’s readiness to preach the gospel is always connected with their commitment to Christ. A person that is ashamed demonstrates, in that shame, a failure of commitment. Paul was ready to preach with everything he had, revealing his love, devotion, and obvious lack of shame. All followers of Christ should be ready to proclaim the message, but those who falter should examine their hearts, rather than simply hoping to pluck up the courage. It is a heart of grateful obedience to the Savior, and genuine concern for the lost that speaks up when it could just as easily remain silent. I wonder how many of us can boldly assert our readiness along with Paul? If you are wondering too, it’s probably time for an examination of our commitment to the One that endured the cross to purchase our redemption.
I have decided to postpone my planned devotion series in Romans until January. With the end of the year in sight, our Joshua series just ended, and plenty of other things to do, I felt this was the perfect opportunity to take a week off. There are a bunch of other things I would like to write however, so if I can spare a few moments in the evening this week, perhaps I will put together another type of article or two.
I’ll probably just read through Romans in the next few days, get some ideas, then start over at the beginning, posting my first devotion (from the opening chapters) on January 1st. While daily writing has been a tremendous help and spiritual exercise, I believe a rest-of-mind might do me some good. Access previous devotions by visiting our Catalog for completed-series downloads, or by checking our Index for articles posted here (by topic/book) since the re-design in October.
We missed a few days of study, and skipped over several more chapters than usual in Joshua. We missed simply because I was much more busy than usual this month, and we skipped passages (near the end of the book) because they focused primarily on the dividing of the land. While there are some rich truths to be taught from the division passages, they take more time to develop than is allowed in our one-paragraph format. In any event, this is a wonderful book, that I hope was of much help to us. Download the entire series from our Catalog.
“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” A man of God can present his people with the options, but he cannot force them to choose his path. The best he can hope for is an open ear, a tender heart, and a willingness to follow. I believe Joshua had all these desires. He had seen the people endure in a season of tremendous challenge, relying upon the Lord. His hope was that in their season of rest they would do the same. Joshua first appeals to their intellect, asking if it seems evil to serve the Lord. He also recommends reflection upon their path of disobedience, repentance and ultimate, victorious restoration. In the end however, he chooses to use his own family as an example. Joshua was reaping the benefits of faithfulness, and was eager to continue. As the leader of Israel, he was desperate to see God’s people make the same commitment. The challenge for us is to hear the heart’s cry of our Pastors and teachers, following their example of service. Joshua was not perfect in obedience, and our leaders will have some of the same failings. Ultimately the people leading are not the issue; it is the God to which they point that matters.
Devotions | Chris | 
January 22, 2008 10:49 pm | 
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