Category Archives: Grace / Forgiveness

Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Justice / Judgment, Merciful, Righteous, Sin

One Act of Righteousness

It is sometimes hard for me to fully understand how sin entered the world through one man in Adam. I wrestle with understanding why the rest of us would suffer sin and death as a result of Adam’s mistake. On the other hand, I conclude quickly that all of us are just as imperfect as Adam and would ultimately make a similar if not the same mistake that he did. In fact, we all make mistakes and rebel against God even today.

While I humbly admit I do not have all the answers, I know the one who does, and we can trust our heavenly Father.  He loves us and demonstrates mercy by sparing us punishment for our sin and grace by providing a sacrifice to pay the penalty for our sin on our behalf.  Yeshua lived a perfect and righteous life as both God and man and then died for our sins. His act of righteousness was sufficient for all of our justification, being forgiven and reconciled with God for our transgressions.

Romans 5:12-21

    12Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned— 13for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

      15But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. 16The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. 17For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

      18So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 20The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

I previously had a chance to dialog with a man who felt he had done too many bad things to be forgiven. He had served in the military and done things which he clearly regrets. People died at his hands in ways he wishes he could forget. He was convinced not even God could forgive him. I had the opportunity to share with him the grace and forgiveness of God through Christ. There is no transgression or sin too great to be forgiven when we humble ourselves, admit our wrong, ask forgiveness, and turn away from our sin to do things God’s way. I hope and pray that I was able to help that man to start to understand and accept the forgiveness available to him. I challenge each of you to take time to reflect on the sins and mistakes you have made in your life. Consider with thanks and praise… and humility… how gracious our Father is that we can all be forgiven.

I invite You to pray with me:

Father, thank You for offering reconciliation and forgiveness as a gift through Yeshua. Please help me to humbly accept that gift and change my life to be more like His example. Show me where there is sin in my life or misunderstanding of Your word so that I may increase in wisdom and obedience to You. Teach me Your ways and how to walk with You. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Heaven and Hell, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Loving / Kind, Salvation

Would You Die for Someone Who Rejects You?

As a father and a husband, I consider at times if I am prepared to die for my wife or children. I love them, and I believe I am ready… with God’s help. Of course, I would prefer to avoid having to give up myself or my family.  It is much harder to extend the same love to others for whom my love is not so great. To imagine giving up my life for someone who is my enemy is more difficult. If it is my child or close family member, who is rebelling against me, but whom I still love, then perhaps it is a bit easier to visualize. It is love that makes the difference!

That is precisely what God has done for us. He loves us, even though we were sinners and rejecting Him. Yeshua died for each of us!   He gave His life to suffer and die, and then rise again, so we could be forgiven. He demonstrated this love toward us while we were yet sinners, in rebellion to God. What an amazing God we serve!

Romans 5:6-11

 6For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

Praise God that He came in the person of Jesus Christ to save us sinners! If He would do that for us while we were yet sinners, than surely those of us who truly submit to Him and follow Him will be saved from His wrath and reconciled to Him.

Take time to give thanks and praise to our heavenly Father for His love and grace to make a way for us to be forgiven, despite our faults and mistakes. What a glorious Father!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for making a way for me to be reconciled to You even before I was submitted to You! Thank You for Your love for each of us as Your children. Help us to be grateful and not take it for granted. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Father / Yahweh, Grace / Forgiveness, Hope, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Peace / Rest, Suffering / Adversity

Can We Truly Have Peace and Rejoice During Difficulties?

How many of us naturally maintain a peaceful attitude even in difficult times? Some of us, some of the time? How many of us actually rejoice in our tribulations? Anyone… anyone? Not many, I suppose. However, this is precisely what Paul tells us about living a life submitted to Yeshua. What an amazing statement!

Yeshua is the only way to the Father. We come to know the Father through Yeshua and we can be reconciled with the Father by accepting Yeshua as Lord, asking forgiveness and repenting from our wrong ways. Yeshua was without sin and took our punishment. He died on the cross and rose from the dead. Because of His sacrifice, we can be forgiven and live in right relationship with our heavenly Father. A healthy relationship with our Father powerfully transforms our lives, if we embrace it.

In part, our peace comes through justification by faith. We don’t have to earn forgiveness from our sin by living to some perfect standard, constantly striving for perfection. We should still do our best to obey God, because we love Him!

Romans 5:1-5

      1Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Since submitting my life to Yeshua and making Him lord of my life I have certainly felt the Holy Spirit lead me to become better and better at living in peace regardless of circumstances. I still have a way to go. Sometimes I still allow circumstances to deflate my peace. I am definitely not yet exulting in my tribulations yet, but I am less frustrated by them.

Paul’s attitude is inspiring considering the truly difficult things he faced for his faith in Yeshua… beatings, jail, whipping, shipwrecks, stoning, and on and on. He points out how our heavenly Father can even use bad circumstances to help us get better and better at honoring and glorifying Him no matter what the circumstances we find ourselves in.

I encourage each of you to join me in prayer asking our Father to help us as disciples of Yeshua to rejoice even in tribulation, recognizing how He can use those circumstances to build our character and strengthen our hope in Him.

Father, thank You for Your written word to lead and guide us. Thank You for justification by grace that we don’t have to try to achieve it ourselves through our actions. Please forgive our sin. Help us to have peace consistently and to rejoice in our tribulation as it helps grow our character to become more like You want us to be. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Grace / Forgiveness, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Justice / Judgment, Salvation

Justified By Grace, Through Faith; Not Justified by Works

Though it has been discussed for thousands of years, many still find themselves confused by understanding how we are to be reconciled to Yahweh in order to receive forgiveness of sin and salvation… to be with Him forever in heaven when we leave this world. It is not by good works, not by always doing and thinking what is right… for that is impossible for man. Yahweh offers us justification by grace. To receive grace is to receive something which is undeserved. He made a way that we could be forgiven of our sins by sending Yeshua to die for our sins. We must have faith in Jesus, accepting Him as Lord and Savior. Then we are to ask for forgiveness, and repent… that is to turn away from our way of doing things and turn toward Yah’s way. When we truly have faith that believes Yeshua is Lord, and disciple ourselves after Him, we will do good works naturally, consistent with obedience to Yah’s instructions.  Good works come naturally and are the evidence of our faith.

As a quick reference, justification means to be declared “not guilty”. In this context it refers to God declaring us not guilty of our sin due to faith.

Romans 4

Justification by Faith Evidenced in Old Testament

      1What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? 2For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3For what does the Scripture say? “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.” 4Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. 5But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, 6just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

      7“BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN,
AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED.

      8“BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.”

      9Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, “FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.” 10How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; 11and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, 12and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised.

      13For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; 15for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation.

      16For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17(as it is written, “A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. 18In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.” 19Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; 20yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, 21and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. 22Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 23Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, 24but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.

It is easy to say, “I believe in Yeshua” and then to assume we have a right relationship with Yahweh. It is easy to attend a church once a week and then continue living our lives unchanged by the message that the Bible actually teaches. Each of us should ask ourselves, “Do I truly desire to obey Yah’s instructions? Do I change my behavior and attitudes to disciple after Yeshua or do I fit in with the world? What is the objective evidence of my faith?”

These questions should not be approached defensively from a posture of disbelief that someone would ask you these things. You should not accept just a simple statement of “I accept Yeshua” or “I am a Christian” from even yourself. If there is no evidence of your changing your life to disciple after Yeshua and obey all of Yah’s instructions, as best you understand them, then you have reason to be concerned.

If I believe in gravity, I seek to understand all the places and ways in which it may hurt me. I do not simply ignore some places where I may fall off a roof or ladder and pay attention to others. I pay attention to all of them… because I believe in gravity. The same principle applies to our relationship with Yahweh through Yeshua. If you truly believe, you will wholeheartedly seek to understand and then apply all of His instructions in your life… not just the ones that feel comfortable because they are culturally accepted.  If Yeshua is the way to the Father, why would we not follow Him fully, including His example to obey all of the Father’s instructions?

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for justification by faith though grace! Thank You that I do not need to earn forgiveness, because I cannot. Please help me to have a thankful heart and help me to have a passion to follow the example of Yeshua in living out Your law even though I do not do so for justification or for salvation. I do so to follow the example of my Messiah because of my faith and because I love You. Amen.

 Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Father / Yahweh, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Heaven and Hell, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Loving / Kind, Merciful, Salvation

Do We Nullify the Law Through Faith?

Salvation, being forgiven of sins and reconciled to our heavenly Father, is not accomplished through works. We cannot be reconciled to Yahweh by perfectly following His law, for that is impossible for all but Yeshua. We receive salvation by the grace of Yahweh, through our faith in Yeshua. Our faith in Yeshua, if genuine, then prompts us to do good works and to follow the law of Yahweh, because we love our Father and because that is the example that Yeshua showed us for how we should live.

Romans 3:21-31

Justification by Faith

      21But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

      27Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. 29Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.

      31Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.

Verse 31 is a very important verse for people to understand. Many who are predisposed toward dismissing the law of Yahweh as no longer relevant skip over verses like this one and teach falsely that the law no longer matters. As if it has been nullified by faith. Then they often teach a subset of or the law as still valid, like the 10 commandments. They treat the law as if it is a picklist from which they can select what they want to continue obeying and what they want to leave behind. This is quite simply and emphatically not how the law works. Our faith in Messiah establishes in our hearts a desire to follow His example and obey Him. We show we believe in Him and we show we love Him when we follow His example and obey His commands. Yeshua lived out the law of Yahweh consistently and flawlessly. It was by this standard He was judged righteous. He taught His disciples to follow the law as well. Let us be cautious to not dismiss the law as irrelevant like so many wish to do today. Yeshua Himself warned His disciples about this and taught clearly on the matter.

Matthew 5:17-19

    17“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18“For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19“Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

As you read Matthe 5:17, avoid the temptation to define “fulfill” as to complete and make no longer meaningful. That would make no sense with the statement that He did not come to abolish. Imagine saying, “I did not come to abolish the law, but rather to make it no longer meaningful to observe.” That is nonsense. Quite the opposite is true. To fulfill in this case means to bring it full of meaning, through His death and resurrection and His fulfillment of the prophecies and God’s plan. What sense would it make for Yeshua to say in verse 17 that we no longer have to follow the law and then follow with verse 19 shortly after? None.

19“Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

The law is still our God-given standard by which we should guide our lives. To learn more, read Understanding the Law – What Does It Mean Today?

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for Your gift of salvation and redemption by grace, through faith in Yeshua as our Messiah. Thank You also for Your Law and the writings of the prophets, which guide us on the right path and establish the foundation and context of Your word. Help Your people to have clarity and understanding in studying and applying Your whole word in our lives. Please let the Holy Spirit guide us in our understanding and in godly wisdom. Amen.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Am I on the path?, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Justice / Judgment, Obeying God, Righteous

Shall We Sin to Demonstrate the Grace of God?

All of us are guilty of failing to meet Yahweh’s righteous standard in our behavior and our thoughts. There is not even one person who is sinless among us. Only Yeshua lived a perfect and sinless life.

Knowing that we are saved by grace, through faith and not by our own perfect obedience to the law of God some argue that we should freely sin and do whatever we want in order to highlight and even demonstrate the grace of Yahweh in forgiving us. Others suggest that we can just do anything because God will forgive us or has already forgiven us. This idea is tempting because it invites us to behave and think any way we want to and deceives us that we are still saved by our relationship with Yeshua.

Here is the essential deception… if we truly believe Christ is Messiah and submit to Him, we follow His example. We live as He did. Yeshua demonstrated perfect obedience to the Father in the law. He was sinless. Never did Yeshua sin intentionally or accept sin in others as tolerable because they could be forgiven. The message is always “repent of your wrong ways and turn toward God’s ways asking forgiveness”.

So, how then can we claim to have a saving faith in Messiah, but intentionally and willfully do the opposite of what He taught? We cannot. Our obedience is the evidence of our faith. We will not have perfect obedience, but we should never be willfully tolerating sin and accepting or normalizing it.

Romans 3:1-20

All the World Guilty

      1Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? 2Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it?

4May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written,
“THAT YOU MAY BE JUSTIFIED IN YOUR WORDS,
AND PREVAIL WHEN YOU ARE JUDGED.”

5But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.) 6May it never be! For otherwise, how will God judge the world? 7But if through my lie the truth of God abounded to His glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? 8And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), “Let us do evil that good may come”? Their condemnation is just.

      9What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin;

10as it is written,
“THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;

      11THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,
THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;

      12ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;
THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD,
THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”

      13“THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE,
WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,”
“THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS”;

      14“WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS”;

      15“THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD,

      16DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS,

      17AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN.”

      18“THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.”

      19Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; 20because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

The law of God opens our eyes to what is right and what is sin. Those who wholeheartedly submit to the Yahweh through Yeshua will not willfully disobey His instructions and example.

Prayerfully consider in your life what sins you are tolerating and normalizing for yourself or others around you. Pray for Yahweh’s help to change your heart and repent. Do not accept a sin just because someone you love will not give it up. You can love the person and reject the sinful behavior. In fact, that is a good way to lead someone you are close to away from that sinful behavior and toward righteousness.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please lead Your people to reject sin and embrace Your law and the example set by Yeshua in how we should live and interact with You and one another. Please raise up righteous leaders like Paul to help guide Your people across the world. Thank You for Your grace and forgiveness. Let us not take advantage of that to live apart from You in willful disobedience. Amen. 

 

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Grace / Forgiveness, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Merciful, Salvation

The Law of God Is Good, But It Will Not Save You

In Romans 1, Paul exalts the gospel and writes about unbelief and its consequences. At the beginning of Romans 2, he writes about the impartiality of God, specifically in regard to Jews vs. Gentiles.

As Paul continues in Chapter 2, he emphasizes that being a Jew and being under the law does not save you. He is not speaking out against the law. He is not saying the law is obsolete or should be cast away. In fact, he makes the point that being a doer of the law is good, even for the Gentiles. He is saying that you cannot count on the law to save you. Salvation is through Yeshua for both Jew and Gentile. As Paul states, we are either judged without the law or under it.

Romans 2:12-13

  12For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; 13 for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.

Similarly, those who claim the name of Yeshua will not be saved by simply claiming it. They are not saved by hearing the message alone; they must accept it. They are not saved by sitting in church. They must truly submit to Yeshua. Their lives should be changed.

Do not think that because you are in a church you are saved or that because another may be outside of church they are not saved. They may be repenting and seeking God.

Romans 2:17-29

The Jew Is Condemned by the Law

      17But if you bear the name “Jew” and rely upon the Law and boast in God, 18and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law, 19and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth, 21you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? 22You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? 24For “THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU,” just as it is written.

      25For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Law; but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 27And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a transgressor of the Law? 28For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.

Yahweh wants our obedience. He wants us to live according to His ways. That is the example that Yeshua lived out for us! He did not just “know” God’s word and tell others what to do. Yeshua did not just claim God’s name and claim to follow Him, but He submitted to and obeyed God in all that He did.  He consistently rebuked those who knew the word and claimed to follow God but did not follow it.

Let us follow Yeshua’s example and seek to know and obey all of God’s instructions.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please grant wisdom, discernment, and humility to Your people so that we would know and choose to submit to and follow all Your instructions. Help us be doers of Your law and instructions rather than just claiming that we follow You and remaining unchanged in our lives. While we are called to discern truth, including what is good and what is bad, let us not focus too much on condemnation of one another without also accepting with thanksgiving that we, too, are sinners in need of Your grace and mercy. We are justified through You and You alone and not through our own deeds. Amen. 

  Shalom. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Compassion, Compassionate, Consequences of Sin, Discerning / Judging, Discipline / Guidance From God, Grace / Forgiveness, Grace / Patience, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Merciful, Mercy

The Kindness of God Leads to Repentance

None of us are so holy and righteous that we will avoid facing judgment. We will all face judgment before Yahweh. But for His grace in extending the offer of salvation through Yeshua, and our decision to accept it and submit to Yahweh we all would go to hell. All are judged guilty of not living up to our Father’s holy and perfect standard. No matter how much we study and learn or how much we pray… we must caution ourselves against thinking that we have all the answers and those who are different are all fools worthy of condemnation. We are all worthy of condemnation. We all need our Father’s grace and mercy.

Romans 2:1-16

The Impartiality of God

      1Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. 3But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? 5But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS: 7to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; 8but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. 9There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, 10but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11For there is no partiality with God.

      12For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; 13for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. 14For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, 16on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.

Paul calls out that all people, following the law or not, cannot be justified without Yeshua. You either sin without the Law or sin under the Law. Yahweh is impartial and will judge both consistently. It is not through the Law that we are saved, but through Yeshua.

It is very interesting though, to consider that Paul is not speaking against the Law. In fact, the opposite is true! He even points out in verses 14-15 that some who do not have the Law, still after submitting to Yahweh through Yeshua instinctively act in accordance with the Law as if it is written on their hearts. He is pointing out that in fact, it is good and righteous to be a doer of the Law. Recognize this is after the death and resurrection of Yeshua. The Law still correctly characterizes how we should live!

While we are called to “judge”, or discern, right from wrong and rebuke wrong and do right… we should be careful not to focus on judging the salvation of others based on compliance to the Law. We should be attentive to focusing on our own relationship with and obedience to Yahweh. Show grace and mercy to others who strive wholeheartedly after Yahweh, without endorsing or accepting wrong behavior and attitudes.

Do not forsake the Law, as Paul still indicates it is a guide that can help us, even if some may start to instinctively live out the Law to some degree without hearing it taught as the Law.

We also cannot let it escape our notice that our actions matter. They are a reflection of our heart and our striving to submit to Yahweh, or not.

6who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS: 7to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; 8but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. 9There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, 10but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11For there is no partiality with God.

Behaviors and attitudes matter. Obeying the law matters as a reflection of our submission to and love for Yahweh. We cannot simply say “I believe in Yeshua”, go to church once a week, and live like a pagan and expect that to be pleasing to Yahweh.

13for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.

Those who wholeheartedly submit to Christ as Savior and Lord will reflect that in their actions. If we say to ourselves, “We believe in Christ”, but do not obey Him… we must challenge ourselves to test if we really mean it.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for Your Law that guides us. Thank You for the entirety of Your holy word in scriptures. Help us to live out according to Your instructions and not according to the instructions of man, which are often corrupted. Open the eyes of Your people to better understand how to passionately live for You in Your way! Help us to accept salvation as a gift through Yeshua with gratitude, but also truly repent and turn from our sins. Help us show grace and mercy to others as we receive it from You. Amen.

—-

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Grace / Forgiveness, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Obeying God

God’s Grace Is Not an Excuse to Ignore His Law

Have you ever felt confused about the relevance of the Old Testament, the commands of God, and what they mean to us today? Many followers of Christ will reach a point in their walk with Him when they will have to decide if they continue to just accept the traditions of men, which have been handed down through family and church, or if they will study the Bible to learn for themselves what it actually does and does not say. There can at times be a thoughtful debate amongst believers about how to apply the commands of God from the Old Testament now that Christ has come and died for us and risen again. We will read later from Acts 15 and see that this is a discussion that has been going on for thousands of years.

We know we are forgiven by grace through faith, and not by works or properly performing religious ceremonies or obeying God’s commands perfectly.

Ephesians 2:8  8For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

However, this is often misunderstood to mean that we can (or even should) completely disregard the laws of God and just rely solely on grace for salvation. Is that right? Absolutely not.

Romans 6:15-16  15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! 16Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?

We are called by God to obedience. He calls us to obey His commands. It is one way we show love to Him. Are we really only concerned about doing the bare minimum to be saved? or do we actually commit to serving and showing love to Jesus as evidence we have submitted to Him and have genuine, wholehearted faith in Him?

John 14:15  15“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

John 14:23-24   23Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. 24“He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.

Jesus actually goes so far as to say in verse 24 above that “He who does not love Me does not keep My words;” When we refuse to obey God, even if to rely on the grace He offers, we are demonstrating that we do not love Him.

It is also important to keep in mind that Jesus, Himself, clearly stated that He did not come to change the law. He emphasized that whoever annuls even the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:17-19    17“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18“For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19“Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. I did not come to abolish the law

These are strong words… and very clear when you read it directly from God’s word in scripture. It is important to have this teaching of Christ clear in our minds when we read scriptures such as Acts 15 so as to avoid falling into the trap of misinterpretation. If we come in predisposed to disregarding God’s laws, we may convince ourselves we are right. Many read it and conclude that Peter just claimed that there is no need to obey any of God’s laws anymore, but this is not accurate. Careful reading reveals that the discussion is about being saved, not what is the best way to show love to God and live our lives.

Acts 15:1-12

The Council at Jerusalem

      1Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue. 3Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren. 4When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them. 5But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.”

      6The apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter. 7After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8“And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; 9and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. 10“Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11“But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”

      12All the people kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were relating what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.

The key point of the discussion is actually salvation. As we discussed above, salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus. We do not have to accomplish other works or rituals to receive it. However, when we love Jesus and truly submit our lives to Him, we will obey His commands… as Paul did, as the disciples did, and as Jesus did. If we love Him, why would we not trust Him and obey Him?

Learn more… Understanding the Law – What Does It Mean For Us Today?

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for Your holy scriptures that can serve as a light unto our path. Thank You for the law which guides us in Your ways. Thank You for the grace and forgiveness when we sin. Please help us not to use grace as an excuse to ignore Your instructions for our lives! Amen. 

Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Church / Body of Christ, Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Faithful, Grace / Forgiveness, Justice / Judgment, Loving / Kind, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Repenting from Sin, Slow to Anger, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Confess Your Sin, Focus on God’s Greatness, and Repent

Nehemiah 9 has a great example of a people, as a community, coming together and openly confessing their sin. They do not make excuses. They do not blame someone else. They do not play a victim in the situation. They read from the law and recognize their sin. They focus on the greatness of God and review the past deeds He has done on their behalf. They focus on who He is, in all His glory. They acknowledge the sin of their fathers and how that resulted in some bad situations for the people. They commit to change! What a great model to reflect on today.

Nehemiah 9

The People Confess Their Sin

      1Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the sons of Israel assembled with fasting, in sackcloth and with dirt upon them. 2The descendants of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. 3While they stood in their place, they read from the book of the law of the LORD their God for a fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the LORD their God. 4Now on the Levites’ platform stood Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani and Chenani, and they cried with a loud voice to the LORD their God.

      5Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah, said, “Arise, bless the LORD your God forever and ever!
O may Your glorious name be blessed
And exalted above all blessing and praise!

      6“You alone are the LORD.
You have made the heavens,
The heaven of heavens with all their host,
The earth and all that is on it,
The seas and all that is in them.
You give life to all of them
And the heavenly host bows down before You.

      7“You are the LORD God,
Who chose Abram
And brought him out from Ur of the Chaldees,
And gave him the name Abraham.

      8“You found his heart faithful before You,
And made a covenant with him
To give him the land of the Canaanite,
Of the Hittite and the Amorite,
Of the Perizzite, the Jebusite and the Girgashite—
To give it to his descendants.
And You have fulfilled Your promise,
For You are righteous.

      9“You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt,
And heard their cry by the Red Sea.

      10“Then You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh,
Against all his servants and all the people of his land;
For You knew that they acted arrogantly toward them,
And made a name for Yourself as it is this day.

      11“You divided the sea before them,
So they passed through the midst of the sea on dry ground;
And their pursuers You hurled into the depths,
Like a stone into raging waters.

      12“And with a pillar of cloud You led them by day,
And with a pillar of fire by night
To light for them the way
In which they were to go.

      13“Then You came down on Mount Sinai,
And spoke with them from heaven;
You gave them just ordinances and true laws,
Good statutes and commandments.

      14“So You made known to them Your holy sabbath,
And laid down for them commandments, statutes and law,
Through Your servant Moses.

      15“You provided bread from heaven for them for their hunger,
You brought forth water from a rock for them for their thirst,
And You told them to enter in order to possess
The land which You swore to give them.

      16“But they, our fathers, acted arrogantly;
They became stubborn and would not listen to Your commandments.

      17“They refused to listen,
And did not remember Your wondrous deeds which You had performed among them;
So they became stubborn and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt.
But You are a God of forgiveness,
Gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness;
And You did not forsake them.

      18“Even when they made for themselves
A calf of molten metal
And said, ‘This is your God
Who brought you up from Egypt,’
And committed great blasphemies,

      19You, in Your great compassion,
Did not forsake them in the wilderness;
The pillar of cloud did not leave them by day,
To guide them on their way,
Nor the pillar of fire by night, to light for them the way in which they were to go.

      20“You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them,
Your manna You did not withhold from their mouth,
And You gave them water for their thirst.

      21“Indeed, forty years You provided for them in the wilderness and they were not in want;
Their clothes did not wear out, nor did their feet swell.

      22“You also gave them kingdoms and peoples,
And allotted them to them as a boundary.
They took possession of the land of Sihon the king of Heshbon
And the land of Og the king of Bashan.

      23“You made their sons numerous as the stars of heaven,
And You brought them into the land
Which You had told their fathers to enter and possess.

      24“So their sons entered and possessed the land.
And You subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites,
And You gave them into their hand, with their kings and the peoples of the land,
To do with them as they desired.

      25“They captured fortified cities and a fertile land.
They took possession of houses full of every good thing,
Hewn cisterns, vineyards, olive groves,
Fruit trees in abundance.
So they ate, were filled and grew fat,
And reveled in Your great goodness.

      26“But they became disobedient and rebelled against You,
And cast Your law behind their backs
And killed Your prophets who had admonished them
So that they might return to You,
And they committed great blasphemies.

      27“Therefore You delivered them into the hand of their oppressors who oppressed them,
But when they cried to You in the time of their distress,
You heard from heaven, and according to Your great compassion
You gave them deliverers who delivered them from the hand of their oppressors.

      28“But as soon as they had rest, they did evil again before You;
Therefore You abandoned them to the hand of their enemies, so that they ruled over them.
When they cried again to You, You heard from heaven,
And many times You rescued them according to Your compassion,

      29And admonished them in order to turn them back to Your law.
Yet they acted arrogantly and did not listen to Your commandments but sinned against Your ordinances,
By which if a man observes them he shall live.
And they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck, and would not listen.

      30“However, You bore with them for many years,
And admonished them by Your Spirit through Your prophets,
Yet they would not give ear.
Therefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.

      31“Nevertheless, in Your great compassion You did not make an end of them or forsake them,
For You are a gracious and compassionate God.

      32“Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and lovingkindness,
Do not let all the hardship seem insignificant before You,
Which has come upon us, our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers and on all Your people,
From the days of the kings of Assyria to this day.

      33“However, You are just in all that has come upon us;
For You have dealt faithfully, but we have acted wickedly.

      34“For our kings, our leaders, our priests and our fathers have not kept Your law
Or paid attention to Your commandments and Your admonitions with which You have admonished them.

      35“But they, in their own kingdom,
With Your great goodness which You gave them,
With the broad and rich land which You set before them,
Did not serve You or turn from their evil deeds.

      36“Behold, we are slaves today,
And as to the land which You gave to our fathers to eat of its fruit and its bounty,
Behold, we are slaves in it.

      37“Its abundant produce is for the kings
Whom You have set over us because of our sins;
They also rule over our bodies
And over our cattle as they please,
So we are in great distress.

A Covenant Results

38“Now because of all this
We are making an agreement in writing;
And on the sealed document are the names of our leaders, our Levites and our priests.”

In the US for sure, we can see a falling away from God over the past hundred years (or more). As a nation, we have chosen to separate more and more from God. It is not surprising then, that we see how many people today are really lost and confused, even among the people who claim the name of Yeshua. We need to return to the instructions of God. We need to embrace Torah and what it teaches us. Yeshua obeyed it and we should follow His example. His disciples obeyed it even after His death and resurrection. We should follow their example. We should come together as a community. We should admit how we have drifted from God’s ways, even if perhaps we don’t have a fully clear picture of how to live that out today. We should reflect and focus on the greatness of God. We should commit to change and both pray and act to bring about that change.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please bring about the restoration of Your ways among our people. Please raise up leaders to guide us and move the spirits of the people to follow. Help us recognize and acknowledge our sin and the sin of our fathers (as a nation and people group). Help us focus on Your instructions and Your greatness. Bring about restoration and revival across cities, states, our nation, and the world. Thank You for who You are and what You have already done for us! Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.