All Together Now

Have you ever noticed that when you have even the smallest of aches or pains you are preoccupied with them and it makes staying on task just that much more difficult? I know that at the moment, I have what appears to be a case of planters factitious and the pain, even while sitting is immense. As such, I spend a lot of time thinking of and dealing with the pain and not doing other things. This pain is only on the one part of my body, yet drastically impacts the rest of me. The same takes place in the body of Christ.

“¹⁹If all were a single member, where would the body be? ²⁰As it is, there are many parts, yet one body…²⁵that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.²⁶If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.” – 1 Corinthians 12:19-20 & 25-26 (ESV)

We are all part of the body of Christ. As one of us goes, so goes the rest of us. When one is in pain, the rest of us feel the pain as well and do what we can to help them overcome the pain. When one is celebrating, the rest of us celebrate with them and do what we can to help them enjoy the success.

This concept of caring for one another as one body are not new or difficult to understand. Taking care to perform them and live them out is where things get a little complicated. You see, each of us has our own things that we are working through and the tendency is to take care of me and allow others to take care of everyone else. And I suppose there is some truth to that approach in that how much help will I be if I am constantly trying to deal with my own things.

Here’s the thing that I have to remember. God will take care of His. Yes, I may be dealing with things on my end, yet God will not let me go through those alone. When I make it known, others in the body of Christ will come to my care. I can care for those in need as others care for my needs. We are all in this together as the body of Christ. So, always be looking for how you can care for others and know that you will be cared for as others are looking out for who they may care for.

What is your approach to caring? Are you reluctant to care for others as you have plenty on your own that needs caring for? What if you just placed your trust in God and the body of Christ to care for you as you care for others?

Be as Who You are Trying to Reach

In interacting with others, it is commonplace and advised to “mirror” the person you are interacting with in order to connect with them, empathize with them, and influence them. There is nothing in that approach that says that one is to abandon who they are, or to become someone else. It is only to appear as them to connect and reach them. In our world of spreading the gospel, we are to do the same, be as the ones we are trying to reach for the gospel.

“¹⁹For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. ²⁰To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. ²¹To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. ²²To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.” – 1 Corinthians 9:19-22 (ESV)

Paul makes note of this process as above. In order that he would have a better chance at reaching everyone, he would be as they and meet them where they were. Jesus did the same in His ministry as He went where the sinners were and did not expect that they should come to Him.

It is easy for us to attend church and events that are steeped in the gospel and God’s Word. But, what is that getting us when it comes to spreading the gospel. We are expecting that those who need the gospel are going to come to us so all we have to do is be there when they arrive and claim victory for Christ.

To be more effective, we should be going to those in need. We have to bring the gospel to them and in order to do so, we would need to be as they are to me more easily accepted by them. We cannot be timid and reluctant to do so as Jesus went wherever He was needed and he did not apologize for doing so, even in the times when He was questioned about the approach. He had the answer for those who questioned.

“¹¹And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ ¹²But when he heard it, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ¹³Go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.’” – Matthew 9:11-13 (ESV)

As Jesus and Paul demonstrate, it is important for us to meet the people where they are. It is also easier to do so when we are as they are when doing so. We have to remember though that we are to be as them, and not change ourselves. We are here to spread the gospel, not be “friends” only and allow them to not hear the gospel. We have to remain disciplined in our faith and our following of Christ so that there is not question as to our motives or actions. Paul knew this as he called out to the Church at Corinth.

“²⁷But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” – 1 Corinthians 9:27 (ESV)

Where are you looking to spread the gospel? Are you waiting on the lost to come to you? What if you were to be as the lost and go to them, to be more easily accepted by them, to reach them where they are?

Your Body is not Your Own

I hear a lot in society about “my body”. Whether that is in connection with the choice narrative, or the way we treat it. The thought is that I own it and therefor can do with it what I want. Well according to scripture, our body is not our own.

“¹⁹Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, ²⁰for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (ESV)

Paul reminds us that we are not our own. We have been purchased through the death of Christ as He took on our sin and paid the price so we did not have to. Since we were paid for by Christ, we are therefor His and should be devoting ourselves to Him through our bodies.

There are a lot of things that we do during the day that are not necessarily illegal and yet are sins. Mostly these are outward and do not negatively impact us or our bodies, with the exception of sexual immorality. This is a sin of the body and will impact the body, mind, and soul.

Now I am not going to get into a debate on what is considered sexually immoral as that is defined in God’s Word, but I will say that once it starts, it is hard to stop. The endorphin release in the moment is something that not only affects the body, but the mind and soul as well. Once experienced, it is something that is hard to walk away from. And, as such, it will tend to consume you as you are in a constant search for more of the same.

On top of this addiction, there is the defilement of something that does not belong to you. As our bodies have been paid for by God, it belongs to Him as the temple for Him to dwell. I know that we have taught our boys that they should take extra care for other people’s things and ensure that we leave them better than when we were introduced to them. The consuming nature of the sexual immorality addiction does not give us the sense of caring for the body, we are driven to use it all up as we chase the addiction.

I have to remember that my body is not my own and that I should be working to build it up as opposed to using it up. I have to allow my body to be the temple of the LORD and give Him every opportunity to dwell here in His temple and work in my life. My body is for the LORD and His work.

“¹³’Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food’—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.” – 1 Corinthians 6:13 (ESV)

What are your thoughts on your body? Are you progressing through life as though the body you have is yours for your pleasure? What if you devoted your body to Christ as it was intended and allowed Him to dwell there and use for His work?

Law of Sin or Law of God

This morning I am continuing my study of the word “body” and was brought to Romans 7. Paul is writing on the law and sin and I am struck by it as he writes in verse 7.

“⁷What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, ‘You shall not covet.’” – Romans 7:7 (ESV)

It is true that I would not know that sin was even a thing if it had not been pointed out to me. I would have just been able to continue through through this world doing whatever I wanted, as would you, with no thought as to consequences or that anything was even wrong or “wrong”.

But, I was introduced to sin being sin. The LORD gave us the commandments to identify the basic sins and that they should be avoided in this world. As it was introduced, I now know and there is where the struggle lies, knowing and having to avoid, or not.

But Paul points out that there is a way to avoid sin and that is to live a life under God. And we can look at it this way, there is the law of God and the law of sin. The law of God is good and that is what is found in my inner self. This law of sin is of the flesh, or the body, the outer self.

“¹⁸For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. ¹⁹For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. ²⁰Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.” – Romans 7:18-20 (ESV)

Notice the words of Paul. Sin is a part of the flesh, the body. It is the law of God where we should want to do things and that is found in our inner self, not the body.

“²¹So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. ²²For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being,” – Romans 7:21-22 (ESV)

I have to remember to do what is in the inner self and avoid that which is found in the body, sin. I have to rely on the one who can keep me from the sin and that is the LORD, in all of His greatness. I have obey the law of God.

“²⁵Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.” – Romans 7:25 (ESV)

What are your views as relates to the law of God and the law of sin? Are you following the body into sin as you are now aware? What if you were to look to your inner self, away from the body and into the law of God as He delivers you from sin?

Sin and the Mortal Body

It is easy to speak of sin and the body when we are speaking metaphorically. Jesus died so that my sins have been atoned. This gives me the sense that I can still sin and that is okay as that sin has already been taken care of by Jesus. Well, I am writing this morning to declare that not to be the case.

“¹²Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. ¹³Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.” – Romans 6:12-13 (ESV)

Yes, my sin has been atoned through the death and resurrection of Jesus in my place. Yes, even if/when I sin, those have also already been forgiven. Still, that does not give me carte blanche to just go around sinning without consequence. I am still responsible for following the teaching of God and the example of Jesus. I still have to work to avoid sin. As Paul notes above that we should “not present your member to sin”, I have to remember not o subject my mortal body to sin.

I am not immune to consequences. When I do wrong, I am still responsible to pay for those wrongs. Just as in this world, when I break the law of man, I pay the price for the breaking of that law. With sin it is the same. If I subject myself to committing of sin, I am forgiven for that sin thanks to the blood of Christ, yet I am still responsible for the punishment that comes with the committing of that sin. When I lie and get caught, I am forgiven for lying, yet I am held to the truth as a consequence.

The best approach, as Paul indicates I to not subject myself to sin. I have to work to avoid the conscious committing of sin. I have to stay away, where I can, from sin, and subject myself to righteousness. My writing in the mornings is an example of me avoiding sin and subjecting myself to God and His will in my life. I am filling myself with the study of His Word and as a result am more easily able to avoid the temptations of sin that are all around.

It is great to be a follower of Christ and saved by His grace and free from the burden of sin. I am so relieved to know that my sins, past, present, and future are forgiven. This relief of sin allows me to progress forward, knowing that whatever I do, I am loved and accepted by God into His kingdom. Yet, I have to still do my part and work to avoid sin where I can. I have to remember to not subject myself to the consequences of sin where I am aware. I have to fill myself and my body with the Word, work, and will of God so that sin is rooted out.

What is your approach to sin? Are you progressing as though you have carte blanche to do as you please? What if you worked to avoid sin and instead filled yourself with the Word, work and will of God?

Body of Sin Dies

I am a sinner and that is as true today as it was before I accepted Christ as my Savior. I will continue sinning for the rest of my mortal life. I cannot escape sin as I am surrounded by it and the evil one continues to bombard me with the temptations of sin at every instance. Yet, even that I am a sinner, I have experienced the death of sin with Christ.

“⁶We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” – Romans 6:6 (ESV)

With my acceptance of Christ as my Savior, I have experience death with my old body and have a new self filled with Christ. Sin is the thing that died in my body. I was given new life where I know of the sin that was holding me back and I have a path forward to stay away from that sin and experience life with Christ that is new and full of redemption.

Notice that I have not and will not claim that sin is gone. I am, as noted in my first sentence here, a sinner. I will always be subject to sin, and the evil one will continue attacking me with temptations of sin. The thing is, I now have my eyes open to the sin and have the Holy Spirit with me to guide me from the sin that is presented. I have a path out away from the sin. All I have to do is keep my eyes fixed on Jesus and where I will still be attacked by sin, I have the way to pass right by it.

I have to remember that the way out is through and that way through is with focus on Christ who took my sin upon Himself to make my way easier. Jesus took the road of death for me so that I would not have to take it myself. I am still subject to the sin all around me, yet I have the way through it with my eyes fixed on Him. My body of sin was washed clean and given the newness that was only available from Christ who took on my sin to give me freedom from it.

What is in your body? Are you allowing the sin in your life to rule over you? What if you accepted Christ as your Savior, allowed your body of sin to die, and were to focus on Jesus to allow yourself to go through the sin even as it fully surrounds you?

Freedom to Serve

“¹For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery…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.” — Galatians 5:1&13 (ESV)

This morning I am brought back to a passage I have been to many times. I have a number of notes in the margin and yet, I am still getting more and more each time I come to the Word of God.

God freed us from the yoke of sin with the death and resurrection of Jesus on the cross. This freedom is not from any persecution, it is freedom from death due to my sin. This freedom has provided me the opportunity to serve God without fear of what comes in this world. I have to remember to follow the freedom as it was intended and not use it for my own license to sin. I have to use this freedom to spring me into action for the Lord and not for my own gain. That action for the Lord is rooted in serving Him by way of serving others.

What are you doing with your freedom? Are you using it as some excuse to do what you want? What if you were to embrace your freedom in God and use that freedom to serve Him through your service of others?

The World is Waiting for the Freedom of Christians

I know that this is quite the statement from me. But it is not from me at all, I have gathered this from the passage I read this morning in Romans. Paul writes about future glory in Romans 8 and part of that future glory is freedom for creation.

“¹⁹For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope ²¹that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” — Romans 8:19-21 (ESV)

You see, right there in verse 19 Paul writes of the eager waiting by creation. And as you read further, you can see the waiting for the freedom that is experienced by the “children of God”.

Creation, the world itself, has been subjected to evil since Adam and Eve ate from the fruit in disobedience of God. Yes, the world is subjected to evil and has to wait for God’s redemption for the world to be relieved of the evil. That redemption of the world will be fully realized with the rapture and God’s win in the war with evil. So until that day, the world or creation will be waiting for the freedom that I have as a result of the gift of grace and salvation I have accepted from the LORD.

Yes I have freedom and yet the world does not. That is evident by simply watching the state of the world today and each day as we move forward. There is social upheaval, wars over ideologies, displays of “power” through authoritarian regimes, and just bad stuff happening all over. I have the ability to walk away from the evil and find solace in the family of God, as do the rest of my fellow Christians. The world does not have that ability and is subject to all that goes on in and around it.

The world waits on for the freedom of salvation. I can only do my part to bring the gift of the gospel and what salvation imparts to others. I present the gospel and allow others the opportunity to accept the free gift and experience the freedom that comes with it for themselves. Yet, the world must wait on the LORD to establish His freedom in the world as the world is not able to accept the freedom for itself.

What does freedom look like in you? What about your world, is freedom part of everywhere you go? What if you continued to do your part and brought the gospel to all persons and allowed them to accept, knowing that creation, or the world will not experience freedom until that day with Christ comes again?

Jesus’ Death and God’s Forgiveness, Once is Enough

It may sound a bit difficult to believe and after my writings to and understanding to continually ask for and seek out forgiveness from the LORD, but once is all it took for it all to take. Jesus’ death on the cross and God’s subsequent forgiveness of our sins only needed to happen once for the benefit to be realized.

“¹⁴For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified…¹⁷then he adds, ‘I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.’ ¹⁸Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.” — Hebrews 10:14 & 17-18 (ESV)

Here in Hebrews the writer reminds us of what I wrote above. The Jesus died and gave Himself as an offering of sacrifice for our sins and God recognized that sacrifice and forgave us. This one act took the place of all other sacrifices for sin that had, were, or will be offered. There is no longer the need for sacrifice for my sin as that has already been done and accepted.

But, that does not mean that I am without sin any longer. This is where the continued need for forgiveness comes in. Even with the one sacrifice and forgiveness event for my sins, I am still a sinner and in need of forgiveness. I have to recognize my sin and repent of it to the LORD in acknowledgment of His grace and salvation. I have to know that now that I have accepted grace and salvation from the LORD, I will not be plucked from His loving arms, I also have to remain humble and know that I will continue to sin and need His love each day.

Once was certainly enough for my salvation. I still need to present myself daily to the LORD on my knees in reverence of what He has given to me and ask that it continue as I will always be in need.

What process are you following for forgiveness? Are you continuing to offer sacrifice in belief that the next one will do it for the foreseeable future? What if you accepted that Jesus’ death and God’s Forgiveness was enough in the one instance and that we still need to present ourselves to Him recognizing that we are always in need?

Forgiveness, Continued Please

This morning I was brought to Hebrews and the passage titled, “Redemption Through the Blood of Christ”. Where I am thankful for the passage, I felt compelled to simply ask for continued forgiveness this morning.

As I sit here in Texas, USA, I am afforded freedom and protection (presumably) from other world actors and entities. I am up this morning reading God’s Word and blogging here without immediate fear of persecution. I am, thanks to the shed blood of Christ, have been forgiven of my sins from yesterday and of those I have yet to commit. I am a part of the family of God and know that I will not be plucked from His hand.

All of the above said, I am asking this morning for continued forgiveness and protection in this world that seems to be falling apart as we watch. Regardless of what is going on in this world, my world is protected by God, thanks to the grace and salvation that was offered by God and that I accepted to join Him in glory. And even with the grace and salvation acceptance, I still continue to ask for forgiveness as one time just is not enough in my heart to make things right with God (even though from His perspective it most certainly is enough).

You see, I know that we are in a difficult time and there are a lot of forces drawing us into the evil that is in the world. I am not going to blame anyone or any others for the position we are in, I will only apologize and ask for forgiveness and mercy from the LORD for me and His people as He is who is in control of all events and knows the outcome even now as things escalate. God is the only one who will save His people, and He will do just that, as our role is to give it to Him to do so and then do as we are asked as a part of His plan.

Our Father, thank you for your provision and blessings in our lives. Forgive me for where I have failed you and where I continue to fail you. Please have you hand of grace over your people and guide us as to where you would have us in your great plan, as it is your plan and we are here to do your will as pertains to that plan. I ask this in your name and glory, Amen.

What is your view of your standing in this world? Have you been forgiven? What if you ask for continued forgiveness, grace, and salvation and maintained your pledge to do the will of God?