We May Abandon God, He Does Not Abandon Us

We may feel abandoned by God at times. We turn away from Him and He allows difficulty and challenges and evil to find us. Maybe not at first as we are oblivious to the challenges in our haste to experience all there is in what we are pursuing.

“11And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. 12And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the Lord to anger. 13They abandoned the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth.” – Judges 2:11-13 (ESV)

We may find happiness in our turning away and lack of discipline. But, we will ultimately find that the happiness in the world goes away and we will be faced with those challenges.

“14So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them. And he sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. 15Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord was against them for harm, as the Lord had warned, and as the Lord had sworn to them. And they were in terrible distress.” – Judges 2:14-15 (ESV)

In the above passage, titled “Israel’s Unfaithfulness” in my ESV Bible, the people turned away from God. They were reveling to other gods than the LORD. They were bowing down to them as their god. This did not sit well with the LORD. First off, He had delivered them from Egypt. Secondly, He had given them the Ten Commandments which specifically listed worshiping other gods before Him a big no no. But, we do not listen and insist on doing things on our own and without the LORD.

“3You shall have no other gods before me. 4You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me,” – Exodus 20:3-5 (ESV)

And even though we will abandon our LORD and Savior, He will not abandon us. He is right there with us through it all. He stands beside us and He watches and waits for us to return to Him. He even sends us those who will rescue us from our challenges, if we will let them.

“16Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them.” – Judges 2:16 (ESV)

Even as the LORD allowed for the people to be plundered and experience “terrible distress”, He brought forth those who could and would deliver them out of the challenges. He demonstrated His love for them, even as they turned from Him.

What a great testimony for you and me. God, even when we abandon Him, stays with us through it all. He loves us more than we can imagine and wants nothing but the best for us. He wants commune with us. He wants us to join Him in heaven. He protects us even from ourselves. We may abandon Him, but the LORD does not abandon us.

How are you getting along with the LORD? Are you abandoning Him as you chase something in the world and feel as though He has abandoned you? What if you were to open your heart and eyes to the LORD and realize that it is you who did the abandoning and the LORD is right there waiting for you to return to Him as He protects you?

Keep All of God’s Law

Some things are easier than others and we may not even recognize that we have committed sins in part. James addresses one that may slip past us. Partiality. Some may consider this as discrimination, and they may be right to do so.

“3and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ while you say to the poor man, ‘You stand over there,’ or, ‘Sit down at my feet,’ 4have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” – James 2:3-4 (ESV)

This partiality to the rich man may not be something that we are even aware we are doing. We will just advise folks based on what we believe would be expected in situations. But aren’t we sinning by not treating everyone equally under the Law of the LORD. And in doing so, we are sinning and are to be accountable to that sin just as any other.

“8If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.” – James 2:8-10 (ESV)

I feel I know what some will say, “but if we give the good seat to the poor man, isn’t that being partial to him as well?” I agree that when we are elevating one over another it is a sin of partiality, so that would not be wrong in thinking. It is in the intent of actions where we are accountable in this instance. If we are giving the seat to the first that came, regardless of who that is, then we are not being partial except to the early arrival. For that would be partiality, it would simply be following the process and following the Law of the LORD.

We are called to obey the LORD and do His work. Where this sin of partiality may not be conscious sin, it is still sin and we are to be accountable to that sin. We are to follow the Law of the LORD in its entirety and not just when we are conscious of it. We are accountable to sin, regardless of our knowing of it. Where we fail, we are to seek forgiveness, from God and others we have transgressed against.

What laws have you gone against? Do you even think about your transgressions that may not be conscious? What if you were to seek forgiveness daily from where you fail in God’s Law, even in those you were not conscious of at the time?

Don’t Just Hear, Act on the Law of the LORD

It is easy to sit in church and hear a sermon and think that it is great and it all makes sense. We get instruction and can see the benefit of it as we leave after service. Yet, that is where it all ends a lot of the time. We hear it and then tuck it away.

“23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.” – James 1:23-24 (ESV)

I know that too often we find ourselves receiving something, like instruction, and then walk away putting it aside as not useful, the Law of the LORD is no exception. How is it useful in today’s world as conditions are different? How are we going to implement those things here? Are they really the same today as they were in biblical times?

Doing the work of the LORD is not about our understanding of the impacts, but rather doing the work.

“18And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” – Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)

Jesus did not tell us to hear Him and then think about going and making disciples. He said to “go” which is action and not thought. He did not tell us who would accept His invitation, He said to invite them. He did not say to have intentions on delivering the gospel, He said to deliver it. Our work is to do the work that we are given. We are to take action and not just sit and only profess to know.

“25But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” – James 1:25 (ESV)

James gives us the extension of and the results of our acting on the Law of the LORD. We will be blessed in doing so. He does not tell us that we will be receiving riches, or that our lives will be made easier, or that all of a sudden, everything will be in line, he tells us that we will be blessed. Line that up with the second part of Matthew 28:20 above and it aligns that our blessing will be our communion with Jesus always. Now that is a blessing. Don’t just hear the Law, but act it and you will be blessed.

What is your approach to learning you have received? Are you one who hears and tucks it away? What if you were to act on the Law of the LORD and receive His blessings of communion with Him?

Nothing Perfect in the Law

Ever think that, “if I just follow the law, all will be perfect”? Seems like a good thing to follow the law and create and keep things perfect. It would seem so, if we are following the law, then there is nothing that can be held against us. Until someone changes the law. I have often said that it is our duty to follow the rules or the law as that is how things work. We can work on getting the rules or the law changed, but until it is, we are obligated to follow them.

“12For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well.” – Hebrews 7:12 (ESV)

Even in biblical times, there were changes in the law based on who was in the position of authority. New priest, new law. What once was, is now changed and another direction was decreed. So the old adage of if you don’t like something, wait a while and it will change has certainly been around for some time.

You see, we tend to look for the tangible to satisfy our requirement in leadership. We want things to be there for us, that we can rely on to always be, and yet, even in the law, that is not the case. There is no perfection in the law. If it were, then there would not be a need for new law. That which comes from man is not perfect, and that is where Jesus comes in.

“19(for the law mad nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.” – Hebrews 7:19 (ESV)

We have been afforded the final priest in the line. The perfect priest. The one to which there is no change. The priest that is better. The priest that is forever.

“4The Lord has sworn

and will not change his mind,

‘You are a priest forever

after the order of Melchizedek.’”

— Psalm 110:4 (ESV)

Jesus is the priest forever. He does not change. He is counted on. He is perfect.

The law leads not to perfection. We can keep the law today and where that may be good, the law may change tomorrow and that which was, is no more. But, with Jesus, there is forever. There is consistency. There is no change. There is perfection.

Where are you looking for perfection? Are you expecting that things will be perfect if you just follow the rules and law? What if you were to follow perfection that is in Jesus, knowing that He is forever?

Gain Christ with Loss Through the Law

Here goes. I know, it sounds interesting in that we can gain through loss.

Paul was a very learned man and had considerable gain in life. He was fully Jewish. He was fully Hebrew. He could be considered a Pharisee. He was a great man thanks to his work in the law. Yet, he did not fully gain until he found Christ and in doing so, he lost all that he had gained in the law. Paul ended up in prison and ultimately died for his faith in Christ and through it all, counted that time as the time of his life as opposed to all that he had gained and lost in the law.

“7But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” – Philippians 3:7-11 (ESV)

Read carefully the above again. See and feel the freedom that Paul experienced through his faith in Christ. He had everything from the standpoint of the world, and yet he was overjoyed to lose it all for the sake of knowing Christ and seeking after him daily. Paul found joy in prison as he led people and churches to know Christ. He did not want for things other than to know Christ more.

I was reading and studying this morning and this passage hit me a little different this morning. I have been struggling with things a bit and needing a bit more clarity. God provided for me this morning that I am to just be joyful in the gain of knowing, trusting, and relying on Him. I am to put all the struggle away and know that God has me in a place, whether physical or in time, that I am to be in for Him and He will ensure things to be right according to His plan. I just need to revel in the fact that I may lose that which was gained through the law, but what a minimal loss it is compared to the gain I receive in Christ.

Where are you placing your gain? Are you relying on the law to provide for you and give you great things? What if you instead relied on the LORD, knowing that there is far greater gain in Christ?

You and Me Together in Christ

You and I are not the same. You come from a different background, different social class, different continent, different economic situation, and a host of other differences. You and I would likely not know or engage with one another out in the world. But isn’t that how it is for just about everyone, differences separate us.

I remember moving to Boerne, Texas and enrolling our boys in school wondering how things would go. Bryson was in the 7th grade and was just starting athletic competition in school. Not knowing anyone, he showed up, not from here and not knowing anyone, and yet he found friends almost immediately when it was found that he was like them in the athletic arena.

“13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.” – Ephesians 2:13-16 (ESV)

We may be different you and me. But we are alike in Christ. Jesus made it possible for us to find commonality. He is out commonality. Jesus is our likeness. Our difference is on the surface, yet in the heart, we are the together. We have the same common goal and the same common home to get to.

No matter how different we are, we are able to find the commonality in Christ. Jesus came and died for my sins and yours alike. We are not better than one another. We are sinners in need of a savior and that savior, thankfully for us both is Jesus. We have Him in common and that brings us together. We are together in Christ.

What is your commonality to others? Are you looking at others as different because the do not look like you? What if you were to look inward and find the commonality with others in Jesus sacrificial love for you both?

No Law for the Fruit of the Spirit

Yes, that is right, there is no law as it goes to live by the fruit of the Spirit.

“22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV)

Look a the list from God’s Word above of the fruit of the Spirit. There are no laws banning or regulating those actions. The world is free to take all of them and there is none out there telling us what we can or cannot do as relates to any of them. Those are written on our heart by God and everyone, no matter your origin, knows of them and can live them without direction.

All things under the flesh are subject to law of some kind. There are entities, whether person or other that have created rules and regulations of those things under the flesh.

“19Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who doe such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” – Galatians 5:19-21 (ESV)

Again, review the list above and see all the things that are identified as under the flesh and also find that there are rules, regulations, laws against them where entities control what you can and cannot do. Take drunkenness as an example. There is no law against drunkenness, except that you have to be of age, cannot drive while drunk, can be cut off from drinking in public, and I am sure there are others that escape me at this moment. All of those are restricted by some sort of law.

“18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” – Galatians 5:18 (ESV)

But as for the fruit of the Spirit, I again come back to no restrictions. You want to exhibit joy, do so. You want to be kind, go ahead. Patience, please do. No law, no restriction, no rules, as the old Nike slogan would say, “Just Do It”. There is no law for living by the fruit of the Spirit.

What is the restrictions in your actions? Do you find that there are things you cannot do based on rules and restrictions and laws against those things? What If you were to live by the fruit of the Spirit, there are no laws against those?

How to Apply the Law

It is interesting that we look at the law as some restrictive thing. The real thing is that we are free under the Law of God and His law keeps us in line with the law of man. I know, we are to align ourselves with the Law of God and not concern ourselves too much with the law of man, but when we are following the Law of God, we will follow man’s law.

“13For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” – Galatians 5:13-14 (ESV)

And there it is, how we apply the law. We are to love our neighbors just as we love ourselves. We care for them and don’t take their stuff.

“37And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38This is the great and first commandment. 39And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.’” – Matthew 22:37-40 (ESV)

The second most important thing we can do to fulfill the Law of God is to love our neighbors and not take their stuff. This is not just actions that we take they are in fulfillment of the law, see Leviticus 19:9-18 where it is outlined what it is to “Love Your Neighbor as Yourself” (title of the passage in my ESV Bible). Here we see how we treat our neighbors and get along with them.

So, here it is. We are to apply the Law of God in our everyday lives by loving Him and those around us. In doing so, we fulfill the Law of God and by extension we are fulfilling the law of man at the same time. Our focus is on God and lifting Him up, not ourselves and lifting us up. As we devote to Him and our neighbors and we will be in position to fulfill the Law of God in all that we do.

How are you applying the law? Are you focused on yourself and staying right with man? What if you were to instead devote yourself to God and your neighbors to fulfill the Law of God?

Free From the Law

We are free from the law. Yes, I said it, we are free from the law.

Now, I am not speaking to the consequences of not obeying the law, I am speaking of freedom from being ruled by it. We are free from the law ruling our movement and actions. We are not paralyzed in work by the need to follow the law.

“3I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.” – Galatians 5:3-4 (ESV)

Yes, if you are adhering to the principle of circumcision then you must adhere to the whole law and are a slave to it. Of course, I am speaking of adhering to the principle for the purpose of adhering to the law and not just for medical or traditional reasoning. Yes, reasoning and the order of actions does matter.

You see, the order in which we do things matter in the display of our freedom. We are justified by faith, not by works. We accept the grace of Jesus Christ and the love of God and as such receive freedom from the law. As we are now free from the law, we do the work assigned by God to glorify Him and not to gain favor with Him. Now that we have been saved, we do through obedience and are not obedient to be saved, lest we are slaves to the law.

How are you slave to the law? Are you following the law as a means to gain freedom? What if you were to do so, not for freedom, but because of it?

The Promise, The Law, Faith

The progression of righteousness for man was just that, a promise then the law and then faith. Isn’t it something when you think about it.

“16Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, ‘And to offsprings,’ referring to many, but referring to one, ‘And to your offspring,’ who is Christ.” – Galatians 3:16 (ESV)

“19Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary.” – Galatians 3:19 (ESV)

“25But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.” – Galatians 3:25-26 (ESV)

We have been taken through it in order that we might find righteousness. It started with Abraham and the promise which gave way to the law and now by faith. We were never able to find it on our own. Something would have to be fulfilled for us to find righteousness.

There is something else to keep in mind here. Read the verses above again. The promise of God is still in place and has not been broken. The law was added because we needed guidance. Finally, God sent Jesus to end the law and get back to the promise.

“29And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.” – Galatians 3:29 (ESV)

We can now rely on Jesus as our brother and we are now back to the place in the promise that we are heirs with Him.

How are you getting to righteousness? Are you getting there by following the law and being good under it? What if you were to believe in, trust, and rely on Jesus to reach heaven as heir according to the promise?