God has never sinned, never does wrong, always does what is right. Jesus cures our souls and calls us to repentance. God has been called the God of the second chance. He commands us to sin no more, so that we might be his people and enjoy his fellowship. Blessed be the God of holiness!
Editorial throw-off
Below are some of the flittery paragraphs, plus a few, that didn’t make the cut for today’s Forthright Magazine article, “Monday editorial flitter.”
¶ At the editorial link above, you’ve been given a Monarch butterfly to enjoy. Around here, though, the common butterfly is solid yellow, a smiling burst of joy that flutters the heart. Can’t miss them.
¶ Jesus is called the Word because he expresses the mind of God. “As a word is an exact image of an idea, so is ‘The Word’ an exact image of the invisible God” (A. Campbell).
Complete obedience
Jesus’ obedience was complete, right up to his last day. Thus, “he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him” Heb 5.9.
Our obedience must also be complete, in order to receive from his hand eternal salvation. Continue reading
Action: Rebuke
READ: “Watch yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him.” Lk 17.3.
THINK: We can’t refuse to forgive a brother and expect God’s forgiveness, Mt 6.12-15. Forgiveness is more than not taking a brother’s error into account; it seeks his restoration through loving confrontation. He who loves rebukes; letting a brother continue in sin shows a lack of concern for his eternal destiny. Continue reading
Action: Change
READ: “Therefore, although God has overlooked such times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent” Acts 17.30 NET.
THINK: Repentance, a commandment of God, is the decision to change. We abandon idols (our preferences) in order to serve God, 1Th 1.9-10. God no longer permits the ignorance of the past. Continue reading
The Way Back (For the Fallen and Estranged)
By J. Randal Matheny © 2015
To be a child again,
Relive the days of old,
To right a thousand wrongs,
There is no going back. Continue reading
UPLift: What Holds Me Back?
What holds me back? What walls remain?
What fears or loves or sins constrain?
Why can’t the self give full consent
To Jesus’ call to fully repent? Continue reading
Before teaching, be taught
Eliphaz and his friends offer some good advice to Job, but they make horrible application in his case. Among their good advice is this word, which is also found all across Scripture: Continue reading
A verse of enablement for the work of God
This verse reached out and touched me this morning.
But I am full of the courage that the Lord’s Spirit gives,
and have a strong commitment to justice.
This enables me to confront Jacob with its rebellion,
and Israel with its sin.
Micah 3.8 NET.
I — In contrast with the false prophets who mislead the people, v. 5.
full — more than completely equipped.
Courage — what’s needed to do the difficult task, against all odds.
that the Lord’s spirit gives — the source is God, without whom the task would be overwhelming.
strong commitment to justice — a keen sense of what is right, which also comes from the Lord, in contrast with the leaders who “hate what is good, and love what is evil” v. 2.
to confront — what no one else will do, by speaking or stating in clear terms, in hopes of repentance on the part of the people.
This verse also applies to me as a follower of Christ, whose task is to proclaim repentance to all and forgiveness of every sin.