Tag: Actions

Receive Through Faith

You know we cannot receive the Holy Spirit through our works or even purchase access with our monetary gifts, right? Yet, we continue to try. It is interesting to watch people doing things and spouting them publicly to somehow gain some righteousness in the eyes of the world. And, I guess they do, but that is not going to get them anywhere beyond this world. They are slaves to the law of man and will only receive the volatile and fleeting rewards of man.

“12But the law is not of faith, rather ‘The one who does them shall live by them.’” – Galatians 3:12 (ESV)

We were not meant to receive the gift of God through the law. Oh, yes, when looking at the Old Testament and adhering to the Old Covenant, there was the component of following the law to gain righteousness. The Old Covenant is gone and we now live in the New Covenant where Jesus earned our salvation and freedom from sin thanks to His sacrifice on the cross for us. It is His sacrifice that we place our faith and in doing so, we gain the Holy Spirit in our lives to guide us forward.

“13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’— 14so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.” – Galatians 3:13-14 (ESV)

We do not receive the Holy Spirit through our works according to man and the law. We receive the Holy Spirit through our faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ who suffered to remove the suffering from us.

“11Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” – Galatians 3:11 (ESV)

It is not our adherence to the law, or our good works in this world that allow us to receive the gift of salvation and the Holy Spirit. It is through our faith in Jesus that He paid the price for me and I only need to realize, acknowledge, and accept. It is through faith that I receive and not through any other means.

What is your view of gaining righteousness? Are you out there doing good to somehow receive greatness to come? What if you were to realize that Jesus satisfied the law for you by dying on the cross and you receive the Holy Spirit through faith in Him and His actions for you?

The Due Reward

What have we done and what is our reward? Well, it is pretty simple when we look at it. We have work to do in this world and for that work we will be rewarded.

“39One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, ‘Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!’” – Luke 23:39 (ESV)

We see here the words of those who were crucified along with Jesus. Knowing that Jesus is the Christ, the one knows that He could save Himself. The criminal also takes the selfish approach asking to be saved as well. The man was looking to get out of the death sentence that he was due as a result of the work he had done. The sentence he was receiving was in line with his deeds according to the law.

“40But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.’” – Luke 23:40-41 (ESV)

And then we have the other criminal crucified along with Jesus. The man understood who Jesus was and called Him out just the same. Except, He did not ask for his own redemption as he knew and understood the reward for his deeds was right where he was. But, he also knew that Jesus was doing something extraordinary. Jesus had done nothing wrong and was receiving an unjust reward for His deeds. Jesus was being crucified for the deeds of others and not His own.

Isn’t this something. We are accountable for the actions and deeds we undertake. We are to receive reward for those deeds, and the reward is not always something that we find pleasing. Our reward is in line with the action. We commit a crime, we are punished in the law. We avoid giving of ourselves and we do not receive help when we need it. When we provide for others, we receive the picture of joy on their faces. We show up, and we get to celebrate with those we showed up for.

The second criminal understood the reality of receiving the reward for the deeds committed. He may not have liked the idea of dying for it, but understood that he was accountable to the consequences of his actions. He also understood that Jesus had done nothing to receive death. He knew that Jesus could save Himself, yet was doing something extraordinary for others, even himself. This man knew of receiving due reward.

“42And he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ 43And he said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.’” – Luke 23:42-43 (ESV)

This second man accepted the reward he was to receive. But he also accepted the gift Jesus was giving. He did not ask for something other than the reward he was due, but thanks to his accepting of Jesus for who He was and the gift He was giving, the man received the reward of eternal life with Jesus in heaven.

You see, we are due to receive rewards for our actions. Yet we can also receive redemption for those actions through Jesus. And we can receive justification through our faith in Him. And when we do, we receive the due reward that comes, eternal life with Jesus in heaven.

What is your due reward? Are you receiving that which you deserve based on your actions? What if you believe in your accountability and accept the consequences, and accept that Christ died for your actions and have faith in Him to wipe away your sin and provide the due reward of eternal life in heaven with Him?

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?

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?

No Salvation Due to Works of the Law

“20For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” – Romans 3:20 (ESV)

There is no excuse for us as we are fully aware of the Law of the LORD as He has written it on our hearts. Because of that, we are accountable to the Law of the LORD to follow the Law. But even as such, we are not justified by our works. No matter how much we do in the Law of the LORD or what actions we take, those works are not going to do anything for us in the line to salvation. It is not the works that bring us to salvation, but our hearts in the following of the Law that the LORD has written there.

“9Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” – Matthew 7:9-11 (ESV)

You see, even evil among us know how to take action that is right, but that action does not make righteous. We are judged according to our actions, but we are saved according to our heart, our acknowledgment of, our acceptance of, and our devotion to our LORD and to His works for His Glory and not our own. We take action not to gain salvation, but as an outward display of our salvation the new condition of our heart.

Where does your salvation come from? Are you striving to do the best for the world to see in hopes that you will be rewarded? What if your reward has already been given through salvation and now you do works to show the condition of your heart?

Keep the Law of the LORD in Your Heart

It is one thing to know something and something else to commit it to your very being. The second is where I find my learning this morning in God’s Word. I continue my study of the word “law” and in this study I have found that it is important to read, study, know, and understand the Law of the LORD. We have to commit it to memory to use in our daily walk with Him and in the carrying out of His plan for our lives.

I see on social media a number of people that are defending their position on things and using God’s Word in their rhetoric. Yet when they are presented more context as to the verse or passage they are using, their arguments fall apart. These people may have read, studied, know, and understand the Law of the LORD, yet they have not committed the Law to their being and only use it to get what they want as opposed to what God plans.

I know, when I am doing my study I will post a single verse and to the first time visitor to my posts it may seem as though I am cherry picking verses. You are entitled to your opinion, yet I encourage you to read many of them and dig into God’s Word for yourself. I am a sinner just like you and will get it wrong.

“8I delight to do your will, O my God;

your law is within my heart.”

— Psalm 40:8 (ESV)

The above verse is found in a passage titled, “My Help and My Deliverer” in my ESV Bible. Yes, it is only one verse, yet again I encourage you to seek out God’s Word for yourself. I have been in the passage and studied this verse before and what I got from it I wrote in the margin of my bible, “God is in your heart.” And this morning I see more than that, God is in my heart indeed, but I have to allow Him to be there and along with Him is His Word and Law.

The Law of the LORD is more than just words on a page or in a book. It is the very culture that I am to live out in this world to carry me to heaven. Actions don’t do it, it is the condition of my heart that God is looking to. He will determine my righteousness from the condition of my heart that leads to the following of His Law, not necessarily the actions that I perform. Oh, the actions are important, as they will demonstrate to the world the condition of my heart. But those actions are not what get me anywhere as they are simply an extension of my heart and the application of God and His Law to my life and those actions. I can follow the law to avoid discipline, but when I have God’s Law in my heart, I follow His Law because of discipline.

God is indeed in my heart. It is up to me to allow Him to be there and also His Law. I live the Law of the LORD and not just read, study, know, and understand. I keep the Law of the LORD in my heart to guide me into actions that bring glory to Him and show the world that He is in my heart and my life always.

Where to you keep the law of the LORD? Are you storing it up in your mind to use to avoid discipline? What if you keep the Law of the LORD in your heart to guide you in you actions to bring glory to Him ans show the world that He is in your heart and your life?

Consequences

There are consequences for all actions, yes all actions. When you take positive action, the consequence is a positive result. When you take negative actions, the consequence is a negative result. We seem to think of consequences as only negative and when negative does not come, then we think we are in the clear.

Biblical consequences occur and we seem to find them polarizing. We seem to look at the negative consequences to our actions with God to be unjust and we think that positive consequences should be the result of not taking negative actions. See below for the view that John has as the New Heaven and New Earth are revealed to him.

“6And he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.’” – Revelation 21:6-8 (ESV)

Verses six and seven speak to the consequences to the actions taken to glorify and honor God, whereas verse eight the consequences to the opposite. Notice that the positive consequences to be full life and communion with God, whereas the negative consequence is casting out and “the second death”. The negative consequences seem so much more dramatic, when in actual application both the positive and negative are equally spectacular.

You see, we don’t see the positive consequences really at all. We don’t think of positive results of our actions because we have come to only think of consequences as negative and when they don’t come we just pass them off as continuing on with things. But, look closely at verses six and seven above. See the result, quenched thirst and heir with Jesus and for what, turning to and accepting God for who He is and what He gives to us. We are conquerors of this world thanks to the redeeming grace of God the Father.

But, negative consequences we know all to well. We notice them at every turn. When things don’t turn out the we planned we look to place blame. We do not accept that we may have done something to be rewarded with the negative consequence. The reality is that our actions have generated a result and that result is negative and we push back at acceptance of the result. With God, the negative result/consequence is quite something, “the second death” as noted in verse eight above. See the actions and the breadth of those actions that generate the result. From lying to being faithless all generate the negative consequence of “the second death”.

We look at things so differently in our lives. We do not see consequences for our actions the same way. We barely notice the consequence to positive action and we blame negative consequences on someone else entirely. In reality, positive and negative consequences are there exclusively based on the actions, or even inaction that we take each day. For bringing glory to and leaning on the LORD the consequence is the quenching of our thirst and life in the presence of God. For thinking only of self, we are rewarded with “the second death” and will spend eternity in lake of fire. All actions have consequences.

What is your view of consequences? Do you really only think of negative consequences or results? What if you were to look to the positive consequences of your actions as you bring glory to and lean on God?

Husband, be Worthy of Respect

“33However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” – Ephesians 5:33 (ESV)

There are a few things in the above verse to point out. First, husbands are to love their wives. Second, wives are to respect their husbands. Third, and not really stated, husbands are to be worthy of respect. I know, it may not say that third one in the verse itself, but it is certainly implied. If not in the verse itself, throughout the passage of Ephesians 5:22-33 titled in my ESV Bible, “Wives and Husbands”.

God has a plan and role for each of us. And in marriage, the role of the wife and the husband is defined. And where those roles are defined, those roles do not give edicts of demand. The role of husband and wife are to be in the spirit and example of Christ. I am the head of my wife and house, but as the example of Christ who loves and protects her as Christ does the church. My wife is to submit to me, but as the example of the church to Christ and look for love and protection from me as it does from Christ.

Here is where I see the third one from above. I am to love and cherish and protect my wife even to death if that be the case. I am to demonstrate my love for her and she should know if it all at all times. I am to provide for her and our home. In return, my wife should submit to my authority in her life and the life of our house and home. She is to respect me, yes because it is said and defined in the role, but also because she sees that I have done my part in my role and am worthy of her respect. She sees that I provide for her. She sees that I protect her. She sees that I love her. She sees that I love her and in return she submits and respects me knowing that she needs only to love God and seek his provision and that she will receive that from me as her husband.

Husbands, be the man of God you were meant to be and be worthy of respect from your wife.

What is your view of respect from your wife? Have you or do you earn it? What if it is not about earning it but more about being worthy of it through your actions of love, provision, and protection for your wife?

Present your Discipleship

We are to be the example of Christ in this world today. That means, not just living out what He commands of us, but also presenting ourselves as He presented Himself to those around Him and the world.

“34A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” – John 13:34-35 (ESV)

I have studied this passage a few times before. This morning the LORD provided a similar lesson as in the other times. Here is one of the notes I have written in my Bible; “Presentation of God’s Love through your action is our declaration of who we follow.” This is such a true statement of the lesson God has presented for me this morning. I have been blessed to have the LORD in my life and I am doing what I can to emulate Him to those around me and the world. I have to remember that my actions are those of love and not just of action.

Jesus loved through His actions each and every day of His time on earth as man. We tend, I believe, to forget that Jesus spent 33 years in this world and yet only really look at the last 3 years as He was active in His ministry and teaching. We forget that at about the age of 12 He was teaching in the temple. We forget that He had friends He ran with as a child and youth. We forget that He demonstrated love to everyone every day of His life as the example for us to follow in our lives.

Jesus presented the Love of God through His actions declaring His following of the Father. We are to take that example and present the Love of God through our actions to declare that we are disciples of Christ. This is not just a one time thing or something for the short period of life. As Jesus did we are to present God’s Love every step of the way for our entire existence in this world.

How do others know who you follow? Are you reliant on telling them and hoping that they remember? What if you were to present your discipleship through your actions of loving as Jesus loved in His time in this world?

God’s Word Discerns the Heart

“12For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” – Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)

Yes, we lead our lives from the heart and yes, the Holy Spirit is guiding our lives from our heart. And how is it that we understand our heart and that which God has for us, we utilize His Word.

I have been doing my daily bible study and writing for almost 10 years. And over that time I know that I have grown and have found more direction. I know that today I have a better idea of my role with the LORD and the spreading of His Word, but even still I know that I am not done.

I take direction from the Holy Spirit in when and where I am to go. I may not be making impacts in the world that the world recognizes, but I am making impacts that the LORD recognizes. This is the direction that I know I am to go, and I can say without question this is due to my study of God’s Word each day.

Without God’s Word, I am not sure that I would understand the Holy Spirit’s direction means to me. I would be headed blindly ahead and just doing as I am told. Where that is, to some degree, a good thing to be that obedient, it is a bit short sighted in not understanding the why and impacts of the work being done.

Take my Bible study and writing. I am diligent and dedicated to the actions, and therefor am fulfilling that which the LORD has for me. Even still, I do not know those who are impacted. I post here and yet receive little feedback as to who and how the work I am doing is fulfilling God’s plan. Yet, I know that the LORD is using me in the way He would have me to reach even one, and that one may be the reason I am here. So, I carry on understanding that God’s Word is my why and that the LORD is using His Word to direct my heart.

How are you discerning that which is in your heart? Are you using end results to impact your next move? What if you were to lean on the LORD and His Word to provide the direction of your heart and know that direction is making the impact that He would have for you?