Romans 13:!2 "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light."
Armor is something designed to protect. It is a buffer between us and what would harm us. It is interesting then that the armor we are called to put on here is an armor of light. How can light protect us?
The word for 'light' here is used as a metaphor and means, "God is light because light has the extremely delicate, subtle, pure, brilliant quality of truth and its knowledge, together with the spiritual purity associated with it that which is exposed to the view of all, openly, publicly reason, mind, the power of understanding esp. moral and spiritual truth."
In a dark world, light cannot be hidden. The works of darkness, those that we are to cast off, are evil and wicked. Though we try and hide them, they will tarnish our reputation and destroy our testimony. However, the armor of light is the protection offered by a pure and honest life. If we live a life open to the view of all, especially mindful of God's eye on us, how drastically different would things look?
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Friday, January 12, 2018
Contingent
Romans 13:10 "Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."
Psalm 1:2-3 "But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."
This verse in Psalms is so familiar that I'm afraid it can quite easily lose its power in our minds. Read it again, and truly let those promises sink in. What would your life look like if whatever you did prospered because of God's favor? It truly blows my mind when I think about it! And who wouldn't want this promise to come true?
However, this promise is contingent on something - our meditation on God's law day and night. Does this mean that we should be constantly mulling over the Levitical commandments regarding sacrifices and Jewish holy days? I don't think so. Paul makes it very clear that the root of every word in the Torah, every command ever given, is love.
Therefore, if I desire the fulfillment of the promise of Psalms 1, then my thought ought to be constantly on the law of God, which is briefly summed up in this - "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Matthew 22:37-40
Psalm 1:2-3 "But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."
This verse in Psalms is so familiar that I'm afraid it can quite easily lose its power in our minds. Read it again, and truly let those promises sink in. What would your life look like if whatever you did prospered because of God's favor? It truly blows my mind when I think about it! And who wouldn't want this promise to come true?
However, this promise is contingent on something - our meditation on God's law day and night. Does this mean that we should be constantly mulling over the Levitical commandments regarding sacrifices and Jewish holy days? I don't think so. Paul makes it very clear that the root of every word in the Torah, every command ever given, is love.
Therefore, if I desire the fulfillment of the promise of Psalms 1, then my thought ought to be constantly on the law of God, which is briefly summed up in this - "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Matthew 22:37-40
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
Simple, Yet Difficult
Romans 13:8 "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law."
The Christian life is not complicated. The commands we've been given as New Testament believers are quite simple & straightforward. Yet it seems at times we can't accept that simplicity. For some bizarre reason, want more rules and restrictions of our own making. Perhaps the reason is, while the Christian life may be simple, it is far from easy.
When we find ourselves incapable of fulfilling that one, simple command, what is easier - to humbly admit our need for Christ's power? Or to create our own rules that we know we can follow alone? Humbly seeking Christ's power is not our natural reaction in most circumstances. Yet it should be.
Do I truly believe that love will fulfill the law? Do I humbly realize my inability to love in that way? Am I meekly submitting my will to Christ, receiving His power, so that I can love as He would have me?
The Christian life is not complicated. The commands we've been given as New Testament believers are quite simple & straightforward. Yet it seems at times we can't accept that simplicity. For some bizarre reason, want more rules and restrictions of our own making. Perhaps the reason is, while the Christian life may be simple, it is far from easy.
When we find ourselves incapable of fulfilling that one, simple command, what is easier - to humbly admit our need for Christ's power? Or to create our own rules that we know we can follow alone? Humbly seeking Christ's power is not our natural reaction in most circumstances. Yet it should be.
Do I truly believe that love will fulfill the law? Do I humbly realize my inability to love in that way? Am I meekly submitting my will to Christ, receiving His power, so that I can love as He would have me?
Wednesday, January 3, 2018
Overcome
Romans 12:21 "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."
Christians can be some of the most depressed individuals you'll ever meet. Where is the joy that belongs to a child of the King? Far too often, it is overcome of evil. The word "of" here means "by or under". Evil will attempt to smother you, to bury you under its demonic weight. There is so much evil in this world, we will be overwhelmed if we focus on its filthy presence.
The solution to this is a heavenly perspective. If we truly believe that the One Who lives inside of me is greater than he who is in the world, it will be impossible to be crushed under the weight of evil in this world. Instead, living in the strength of His might, we will overcome.
The Christian's destiny is to overcome. Do you feel like an overcomer today? Why or why not? When was the last time you did feel that way? This is God's will for you. Seek it today.
Christians can be some of the most depressed individuals you'll ever meet. Where is the joy that belongs to a child of the King? Far too often, it is overcome of evil. The word "of" here means "by or under". Evil will attempt to smother you, to bury you under its demonic weight. There is so much evil in this world, we will be overwhelmed if we focus on its filthy presence.
The solution to this is a heavenly perspective. If we truly believe that the One Who lives inside of me is greater than he who is in the world, it will be impossible to be crushed under the weight of evil in this world. Instead, living in the strength of His might, we will overcome.
The Christian's destiny is to overcome. Do you feel like an overcomer today? Why or why not? When was the last time you did feel that way? This is God's will for you. Seek it today.
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