“For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Romans 10:10)
Mike shared a story in Residency last week out of 1 Samuel 15, comparing King Saul (the king the people wanted) and King David (a man after God’s own heart). You see God using Saul but Saul’s heart is far from God. He is much more concerned about himself, his reputation, his own image. When he finally does confess to being disobedient, he only does so to save face and avoid consequences. He does not want his sin to embarrass him in front of the people. Meanwhile, he has no concern for how his sin hurts God. The final verse of the chapter says “And the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.” (1 Samuel 15:35).
Mike summed up King Saul by saying “It seems as though God was on his lips, but never in his heart.” WOW. Convicting!
Is God on your lips, but not in your heart? We have been reading through Romans in life group and as I thought about this story, I was reminded of Romans 10. “For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Romans 10:10) I looked at this scripture, and do you notice where belief, justification, and salvation start? In your heart. It begins in your heart! We went through Romans 12 last week, talking about how we are “to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” (Romans 12:1). Can we live this way if God is not in our hearts?
Notice though, it doesn’t just say believe in your heart, but confess with your mouth. After inward belief comes outward evidence. My ESV commentary says “saving faith is not mere intellectual agreement but deep inward trust in Christ at the core of one's being.”
It is only when we have both, the deep trust (inward belief) and the confession from our lips (outward evidence) that we are saved. Believe Him, trust Him, let Him and His word dwell in your heart . . . and be saved!
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Worship
"Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen." (Romans 11:33-36)
We are reading through Romans 11 tomorrow in life group. Paul is finishing up the doctrinal section of the letter, teaching, explaining all these mysteries and theological concepts, etc. . . . and I just love how he finishes this section . . . with praise, with adoration, with worship.
I pray that at the end of our “bible study”, our “quiet time” whatever it may be, it would bring us to this place. A place where we can step back, perhaps not fully understanding God’s way or plan, but worshipping Him because He is good, He is beyond our thinking, He is the source, sustenance, and the focus of it all . . .
Let our learning about God lead to our worship of God.
We are reading through Romans 11 tomorrow in life group. Paul is finishing up the doctrinal section of the letter, teaching, explaining all these mysteries and theological concepts, etc. . . . and I just love how he finishes this section . . . with praise, with adoration, with worship.
I pray that at the end of our “bible study”, our “quiet time” whatever it may be, it would bring us to this place. A place where we can step back, perhaps not fully understanding God’s way or plan, but worshipping Him because He is good, He is beyond our thinking, He is the source, sustenance, and the focus of it all . . .
Let our learning about God lead to our worship of God.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Scripture 6
Our Deliverer
We have learned through our scripture memory verses that reverence for God is the beginning of knowledge. God is our Creator, Sustainer . . . Hiding Place . . . Dwelling Place . . . Hope.
In our next verse we learn that God is our Deliverer.
“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13-14)
He will deliver us, save us, redeem us, and restore us. When we trust in Christ, when we confess with our mouths and believe with our hearts (Romans 10) that Jesus is the Messiah, that He is who HE says He is, and HE will do what He says He will do, we are delivered. We are delivered . . . delivered from the “domain of darkness” (sin, Satan, and death) . . . delivered from the penalty of sin (past), power of sin (present), and presence of sin (future).
We are delivered from . . .
Penalty of sin-death and eternal separation from God. Remember the penalty of sin? Death.
“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17)
“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” (Romans 5:12)
When we trust in Jesus, we are delivered from the penalty of sin, forgiven, and made righteous in the moment of belief.
Power of sin- We are no longer bound to sin, in the present we can choose to resist and run to Christ!
“We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin.” (Romans 6:6-7)
“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.” (James 4:7-8)
Presence of sin-In Heaven, in His Kingdom, we will no longer be with sin. We will be clean, justified, and glorified.
“But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.” (Revelation 21:27)
“And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” (Romans 8:30)
I just think it’s amazing, knowing my own sin and filth that I am delivered from the “domain of darkness”. I am delivered from the consequence/penalty of sin, delivered from the guilt, delivered from the power, and someday I will be delivered from the presence of sin all together into the “kingdom of his beloved Son”. Not just delivered, but transferred into His kingdom, His family. I can’t even believe that I will get to see the Holy One face to face. It brings me excitement and fear just thinking about that.
God is our Deliverer, past, present, and future. We have redemption, we are freed and forgiven.
Let’s meditate this week on what we’ve been delivered from . . . and . . . what we are saved into.
I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. (Psalm 18:1-2)
We have learned through our scripture memory verses that reverence for God is the beginning of knowledge. God is our Creator, Sustainer . . . Hiding Place . . . Dwelling Place . . . Hope.
In our next verse we learn that God is our Deliverer.
“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13-14)
He will deliver us, save us, redeem us, and restore us. When we trust in Christ, when we confess with our mouths and believe with our hearts (Romans 10) that Jesus is the Messiah, that He is who HE says He is, and HE will do what He says He will do, we are delivered. We are delivered . . . delivered from the “domain of darkness” (sin, Satan, and death) . . . delivered from the penalty of sin (past), power of sin (present), and presence of sin (future).
We are delivered from . . .
Penalty of sin-death and eternal separation from God. Remember the penalty of sin? Death.
“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17)
“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” (Romans 5:12)
When we trust in Jesus, we are delivered from the penalty of sin, forgiven, and made righteous in the moment of belief.
Power of sin- We are no longer bound to sin, in the present we can choose to resist and run to Christ!
“We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin.” (Romans 6:6-7)
“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.” (James 4:7-8)
Presence of sin-In Heaven, in His Kingdom, we will no longer be with sin. We will be clean, justified, and glorified.
“But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.” (Revelation 21:27)
“And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” (Romans 8:30)
I just think it’s amazing, knowing my own sin and filth that I am delivered from the “domain of darkness”. I am delivered from the consequence/penalty of sin, delivered from the guilt, delivered from the power, and someday I will be delivered from the presence of sin all together into the “kingdom of his beloved Son”. Not just delivered, but transferred into His kingdom, His family. I can’t even believe that I will get to see the Holy One face to face. It brings me excitement and fear just thinking about that.
God is our Deliverer, past, present, and future. We have redemption, we are freed and forgiven.
Let’s meditate this week on what we’ve been delivered from . . . and . . . what we are saved into.
I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. (Psalm 18:1-2)
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Scripture 5
Our Hope
HE is our Hope. We have been reading through Romans during life group and I have been thinking of the hope that is sprinkled throughout that book! Especially in Romans 8, it is so full of hope! Hope, not just in our present circumstances, but hope in future glory! Easter is only a few days away, and I can’t think of a better theme of scripture to meditate on than HOPE. I’m praying that we rejoice in HOPE this Easter weekend, and pray for those who have yet to put their faith in Christ . . . that they would understand the Hope of Jesus’ life, death, and most of all resurrection. I’m posting a few scriptures on hope, feel free to pick the one that you want to memorize and meditate on!
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:1-5)
“For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” (Romans 8:24-25) *All of Romans 8 is HOPE!!
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Romans 12:12)
“Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you.” (Psalm 33:22)
“For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth.” (Psalm 71:5)
“Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.” (Psalm 119:49-50)
“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.” (Job 19:25)
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
“He is not here, for he has risen . . .” (Matthew 28:6)
HE is our Hope. We have been reading through Romans during life group and I have been thinking of the hope that is sprinkled throughout that book! Especially in Romans 8, it is so full of hope! Hope, not just in our present circumstances, but hope in future glory! Easter is only a few days away, and I can’t think of a better theme of scripture to meditate on than HOPE. I’m praying that we rejoice in HOPE this Easter weekend, and pray for those who have yet to put their faith in Christ . . . that they would understand the Hope of Jesus’ life, death, and most of all resurrection. I’m posting a few scriptures on hope, feel free to pick the one that you want to memorize and meditate on!
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:1-5)
“For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” (Romans 8:24-25) *All of Romans 8 is HOPE!!
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Romans 12:12)
“Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you.” (Psalm 33:22)
“For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth.” (Psalm 71:5)
“Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.” (Psalm 119:49-50)
“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.” (Job 19:25)
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
“He is not here, for he has risen . . .” (Matthew 28:6)
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Heroes-Godly Examples
“Soon afterward Jesus began a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom of God. He took his twelve disciples with him, along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases.” (Luke 8:1-2)
One day I was reading through the Gospel of Luke and got to Chapter 8, subtitled “Women Who Followed Jesus”. Sounds like nothing except for some reason it just really jumped out at me how the “group of women” was listed separate from the disciples. I was so amazed by this, why were they listed separate? It immediately challenged me to look at Jesus’ ministry with women, and most of all how we we’re different! And oh, what a treasure I found! I was so encouraged by how women in the bible “followed Jesus”. Some of these women became great Godly examples to me, their immediate response to salvation, or their faithfulness and loyalty to our LORD. I even looked back to Old Testament women, learned from them, was encouraged and challenged. That’s why these women are heroes of the Bible in my eyes-their example has taught me so much about how to pursue my relationship with the LORD.
Mary (Luke 1:26-55)-She rejoiced in the LORD for her gift, even though she knew people would not understand, slander/shame her, she kept her eyes on the LORD and not what others might think or say.
-From her I learned THANKSGIVING and PRAISE even when we don’t understand our circumstances.
Anna (Luke 2:36-38)-She worshiped with fasting and prayer night and day. She recognized Jesus as Messiah when He was just a baby and began praising God for Him and telling others about Him.
-From her I learned DEVOTION.
Mary Magdalene (Luke 8:2)-he healed her from 7 demons, the rest of her life she followed him. She was the first one to see Him after His resurrection!
-From her I learned FAITHFULNESS.
Sinful Woman (Luke 7:36-39)-she anointed Jesus’ feet with expensive ointment, and washed them with her tears.
-From her I learned REVERANCE and WORSHIP-it may cost us much to worship, but it is worth it.
Mary of Bethany (Luke 10:38-42)-she chose to sit at Jesus feet and listen to him teach, to rest, to abide, rather than fill her days with busyness.
-From her I learned to ABIDE, to rest in Him, to take time to listen and fellowship with the LORD.
The Persistent Widow (Luke 18:1-2)-she continued asking the judge for justice and it was granted.
-From her I learned PERSISTANCE in prayer.
The Widow and Her Coins (Luke 21:1-4)-she offered little, but the sacrifice was great. She trusted God would provide.
-From her I learned FAITH and TRUST
Ruth (Ruth 2:2-3)-she worked hard and gleaned each day
-From her I learned the value of HARD WORK-study, read, glean.
The Woman at the Well (John 4:28-29)-she was scandalous, but once she realized who the Messiah was, she left everything and ran to tell people about Him.
-From her I learned EVANGELISM-you don’t have to have everything figured out before you can tell people about our Savior.
These women have been such an encouragement to me. They were not philosophers or leaders of nations (in fact some of them didn’t even have their names mentioned). They were simple, they were simple in faith and faithfulness, yet their stories are so profound they’re recorded in scripture. They are my examples, my heroes. I pray that we would learn from these women, respond to the LORD the way they did, with loyalty, devotion, reverence, faithfulness, and love.
One day I was reading through the Gospel of Luke and got to Chapter 8, subtitled “Women Who Followed Jesus”. Sounds like nothing except for some reason it just really jumped out at me how the “group of women” was listed separate from the disciples. I was so amazed by this, why were they listed separate? It immediately challenged me to look at Jesus’ ministry with women, and most of all how we we’re different! And oh, what a treasure I found! I was so encouraged by how women in the bible “followed Jesus”. Some of these women became great Godly examples to me, their immediate response to salvation, or their faithfulness and loyalty to our LORD. I even looked back to Old Testament women, learned from them, was encouraged and challenged. That’s why these women are heroes of the Bible in my eyes-their example has taught me so much about how to pursue my relationship with the LORD.
Mary (Luke 1:26-55)-She rejoiced in the LORD for her gift, even though she knew people would not understand, slander/shame her, she kept her eyes on the LORD and not what others might think or say.
-From her I learned THANKSGIVING and PRAISE even when we don’t understand our circumstances.
Anna (Luke 2:36-38)-She worshiped with fasting and prayer night and day. She recognized Jesus as Messiah when He was just a baby and began praising God for Him and telling others about Him.
-From her I learned DEVOTION.
Mary Magdalene (Luke 8:2)-he healed her from 7 demons, the rest of her life she followed him. She was the first one to see Him after His resurrection!
-From her I learned FAITHFULNESS.
Sinful Woman (Luke 7:36-39)-she anointed Jesus’ feet with expensive ointment, and washed them with her tears.
-From her I learned REVERANCE and WORSHIP-it may cost us much to worship, but it is worth it.
Mary of Bethany (Luke 10:38-42)-she chose to sit at Jesus feet and listen to him teach, to rest, to abide, rather than fill her days with busyness.
-From her I learned to ABIDE, to rest in Him, to take time to listen and fellowship with the LORD.
The Persistent Widow (Luke 18:1-2)-she continued asking the judge for justice and it was granted.
-From her I learned PERSISTANCE in prayer.
The Widow and Her Coins (Luke 21:1-4)-she offered little, but the sacrifice was great. She trusted God would provide.
-From her I learned FAITH and TRUST
Ruth (Ruth 2:2-3)-she worked hard and gleaned each day
-From her I learned the value of HARD WORK-study, read, glean.
The Woman at the Well (John 4:28-29)-she was scandalous, but once she realized who the Messiah was, she left everything and ran to tell people about Him.
-From her I learned EVANGELISM-you don’t have to have everything figured out before you can tell people about our Savior.
These women have been such an encouragement to me. They were not philosophers or leaders of nations (in fact some of them didn’t even have their names mentioned). They were simple, they were simple in faith and faithfulness, yet their stories are so profound they’re recorded in scripture. They are my examples, my heroes. I pray that we would learn from these women, respond to the LORD the way they did, with loyalty, devotion, reverence, faithfulness, and love.
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