Holiness Day-by-Day

Devotional for Friday, July 26, 2013

Obedience Applied

Today's Scripture: Luke 8:21
"My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it."

Read it online at the Bible Gateway: (NIV) (NASB) (KJV) (The Message)

Bringing ourselves under the transforming influence of the Word of God means much more than just acquiring knowledge about the contents of Scripture. In fact, the mere acquisition of Bible facts or doctrinal truth without application to one's life can lead to spiritual pride. As Paul said, "knowledge puffs up, but love builds up" (1 Corinthians 8:1, NIV). By contrast Paul also spoke of "the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness" (Titus 1:1, NIV).

What is the difference between these two concepts of Bible knowledge? In the first instance the Corinthians were using their knowledge in a selfish and prideful way. They were "looking down their noses" at people with different convictions from theirs. On the other hand, the knowledge leading to godliness is knowledge of the Scriptures that is being applied to one's life and results in godly behavior.

One of the banes of present-day evangelical Christianity is the way we sit every week under the teaching of God's Word, or even have private devotions and perhaps participate in a Bible study group, without a serious intent to obey the truth we learn. The indictment of the Jewish people God made to Ezekiel could well be said of us today: "My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice" (Ezekiel 33:31, NIV).

Our tendency seems to be to equate knowledge of the truth, and even agreement with it, with obedience to it. James said when we do this we deceive ourselves (James1:22). This is especially true when we focus on the more scandalous sins "out there" in society to the neglect of the more "refined" sins we commit.

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The text for this devotional comes from the award-winning NavPress devotional bookHoliness Day by Day by Jerry Bridges. For more information or to order a copy, visit theNavPress website.

Visit The Navigators Resources website for more devotional resources.

Holiness Day-by-Day Devotional

Devotional for Monday, June 24, 2013 The Primary Issue Today's Scripture: Hebrews 9:14 "Christ . . . offered himself without blemish to God." Read it online at the Bible Gateway: (NIV) (NASB) (KJV) (The Message) From different points of view, look at Christ's work for us: he perfectly obeyed the law of God. He satisfied the justice of God. He exhausted the wrath of God. He removed our sins from the presence of God. He redeemed us from the curse of God. He reconciled us to God. One thing is readily apparent: every work of Christ is directed toward God. It's God's law that was obeyed, his justice that was satisfied, his wrath that was propitiated, his holy presence from which our sins were removed, his curse from which we were redeemed, and alienation from his divine presence that has been reconciled. This God-ward focus tells us that the integrity of God's moral government and the upholding of his honor and glory are the primary issues in our salvation [emphasis added]. It's true that God's love for sinful people such as you and me is the wellspring of our salvation, but this love could be shown only in such a way that the glory of his holiness and the honor of his law would be magnified. Jesus in his sinless life and sin-bearing death did just that. Hallelujah, what a Savior! As we contemplate the glory of the cross, we see that not only is our deepest need of salvation met, but it was met in the way that brings the most glory to God himself. At the cross both God's law and God's grace are most brilliantly displayed, and his justice and mercy both glorified. It's also at the cross where we're most humbled, where we admit to God and ourselves that absolutely nothing we do can earn or merit our salvation. As someone has well said, "We bring nothing to our salvation except our sin that made it necessary." The text for this devotional comes from the award-winning NavPress devotional bookHoliness Day by Day by Jerry Bridges. For more information or to order a copy, visit theNavPress website. Visit The Navigators Resources website for more devotional resources.

Focal Point Ministries Devotions

Mindful of God
by Pastor Mike Fabarez
Mar 21, 2013

The Christian life is a life that is lived mindful of God. The crux and catalyst for sin is frequently described in the Bible as thoughtlessness or forgetfulness of God (Judges 8:34; 1 Samuel 12:9; Jeremiah 2:32; et al.). Godly living, on the other hand, is prompted and motivated by a chronic remembrance of the presence of God (Deuteronomy 8:18; Proverbs 5:21; Hebrews 4:13; 1 Peter 2:19; et al.).

For us as Christians, the call to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and to “be constant in prayer” (Romans 12:12) provides us with a practical discipline through which we make ourselves aware of the informed, active, and involved omnipresence of God. By contrast, looking around at the bustling people of this world who give little or no thought to their Maker ought to give us a chilling and sorrowful pause.

The God to whom all will give an account is entirely disregarded and forgotten by so many. “As in the days of Noah”, Jesus said, so it will be that in the last times people will be “eating and drinking, marrying and being given in marriage” all without thought of their Creator – his demands, his desires, his mercies, or his provisions (Luke 17:27).

Such a simple observation from people who are mindful of God should provoke us to intercessory prayer and evangelism. May God use you and I this week to open the eyes of a sleeping world.

http://www.focalpointministries.org/

He Lived

Looking back at his life, short but lived excellently. In the eyes of many, even his family, it should have gone differently. They were perplexed by his life. They had another goal for him. To follow in his dad's footsteps. Maybe? To grow up and be like every man. Like every firstborn male child. Perhaps? The culture decided what was expected. He was not about living by the dictates of his culture. Sure, he lived by its customs. But, he lived those customs differently. He lived with a depth that was more than the routine. He demonstrated the heart behind the customs. He modeled in words and actions a life that amazed people. Yes, even the elites.

But, he was not from an elite family. Yet, he lived with such authority that confounded them. They hated him. The crowds were attracted to him. Most for their own pleasure. Some for a fleeting moment. Many loved to be around him. However, only a few wanted to live like him. He called a small group to learn from him. They had the privilege of living with him. He called them to live with him, but not for his purpose. Nope, he was more than that. He was not about that. Sometimes, or perhaps more often than not, this group did not understand him. They had their own agendas too. But those changed. Well, for most of them.

He was not about impressing people. He was not consumed by pleasing people. Yet, his love for people was incomparable. He was given a mission. He was on a mission. He came with the vision from heaven. That was how he lived. In singleness of heart. Fixed mind. Submitted will. He lived this mission with a passion and relevance and transcendence like no other. Sure, there were good examples before and after him. But, there was and will never be any like him. Not completely like him. Because there is none like him.

His followers reflect him and are growing into his likeness to reflect him with an increasing beauty. They have been given a mission. A vision also from heaven. This vision can only be accomplished with singular focus on the mission. Just like he did. He was in the culture but not ruled by it. He was in relationship with others but not controlled by them. Yet, he was humble enough to serve others and to live with respect in the culture. In him was the life and light that relationships and culture needed. He was full of grace and truth to bless the culture and people. Many have since then received him. They have been overcome and overwhelmed by his life and light. His grace and truth continue to reign in and through their lives. Those around them see a reflection of his life and light. And it's all because he lived. Is your life a reflection of his?

His Work In You

Your beauty is more than skin deep, of that I am sure.
It is seeping through and there is nothing you can do.
Nothing you can do to stop it, not that you would ever try.
Would you? I doubt it, to try would be foolish, and you know that.
Your beauty is for real, not something that could be manufactured. 
Nor is it something that comes from fine jewelry or make-up
or fancy clothes or any other external things. Not even close.
Your beauty flows from inside.
Yes! It is from the deep recesses of the heart,
because it is from there you are being changed.
And the One who is refining you,
conforming and transforming you by His perfect, skilled,
sure and complete work is excellent.   
My prayer is for you to continue to look to Him,
instead of being consumed by looking without or within. 
For it is only when you are locked in His beauty,
are lost in His love and live in His grace & truth,
only then should you glance to see who you are.
When you do, you will be amazed and grateful for
His work in you. 

Upwords with Max Lucado

Our Memory

by Max Lucado 

There’s a direct correlation between the accuracy of our memory and the effectiveness of our mission.  If we’re not teaching people how to be saved, it’s perhaps because we’ve forgotten the tragedy of being lost. If we’re not teaching the message of forgiveness, it may be because we don’t remember what it was like to be guilty. 

And if we’re not preaching the cross, it could be that we’ve subconsciously decided that—God forbid—somehow we don’t need it.

In what is perhaps the last letter Paul ever wrote, he begged Timothy not to forget. He urged Timothy to “Remember Jesus Christ—raised from the dead, descended from David.  This is my gospel. . .” (2 Timothy 2:8).

When times get hard, when people don’t listen, when tears come,  when disappointment is your bed partner, when fear pitches its tent in your front yard, when death looms, when shame weighs heavily… always remember Jesus!

Holiness Day-by-Day

Devotional from Navigators by Jerry Bridges

Devotional for Saturday, March 9, 2013 / Sunday, March 10, 2013

When God Is Irrelevant

Today's Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:31
"Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
Read it online at the Bible Gateway: (NIV) (NASB) (KJV) (The Message)

When I talk about specific areas of our subtle, "acceptable" sins, one comment I often hear is that pride is their root cause. While I agree pride plays a major role, I believe there's another sin even more basic, more widespread, and more apt to be the root cause of other sins. It's the sin of ungodliness, of which we're all guilty to some degree.

We don't think of ourselves as ungodly. After all, we're Christians, not atheists or wicked people. How can I say that we believers are all, to some extent, ungodly?

Ungodliness may be defined as living one's everyday life with little or no thought of God, God's will, God's glory, or our dependence on God. You can readily see that someone can lead a respectable life and still be ungodly in the sense that God is essentially irrelevant in his or her life.

The sad fact is that many of us believers tend to live our daily lives with little or no thought of God. We may read our Bibles and pray at the beginning of each day, but then go out into the day's activities and basically live as though God doesn't exist. We seldom think of our dependence on God or our responsibility to him. We might go for hours with no thought of God at all. I believe that all our other acceptable sins can ultimately be traced to this root sin of ungodliness. Ungodliness ultimately gives life to our more visible sins.

Pray that God will make you more conscious of the fact that you live every moment of every day under his all-seeing eye, knowing that he sees your every deed, hears your every word, and knows your every thought. (Excerpt taken from Respectable Sins)

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The text for this devotional comes from the award-winning NavPress devotional bookHoliness Day by Day by Jerry Bridges. For more information or to order a copy, visit theNavPress website.