Because We Couldn’t Save Ourselves

^{NLT 2 Tim. 1:9} For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.

Sometimes people will tell you they’re reading and a verse “just leaps off the page.” I’ve known that to be true, but I also find in a world of podcasts, audio books and sermon videos, sometimes a verse that someone is reading hits you as though for the first time.

It’s often because the person reading really knows the verse or passage in question and are able to bring it with the authority the writer intended.

That was the case with today’s opening verse. I can’t remember who was speaking, but I quickly set the playback a few minutes so I could hear it again and write down the reference. This verse in 2 Timothy reminds me of another passage that has been meaningful to me in more recent years.

^{CEV Titus 3:4} But “when God our savior’s kindness and love appeared, ⁵ he saved us because of his mercy, not because of righteous things we had done. He did it through the washing of new birth and the renewing by the Holy Spirit, ⁶ which God poured out upon us generously through Jesus Christ our savior.

(We looked previously at this passage in this article.)

The key phrase in both verses speaks to the idea that we did nothing to deserve this favor or mercy. “Not by works of righteousness that we have done” (the Titus passage in the KJV) and “Not according to our works” (the Timothy passage, in the NASB).

In Romans Paul says the well-known words, “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (5:8) Eugene Peterson in The Message renders these words as,

^{MSG Rom. 5:6-8} Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn’t, and doesn’t, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn’t been so weak, we wouldn’t have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.

(This passage was actually the text of the sermon we heard preached in the Spanish church we visited in Cuba in 2020.)

– o – o – o –

So why is there a stray (unresolved) quotation mark in the Titus passage? It appears in verse 4 and (for you OCD people!) the quotation continues to the end of verse 7. In the NLT the passage is indented. In the NIV, there are no such notations in the text.

Furthermore, N.T. Wright and Michael Bird, in The New Testament in its World introduce the idea that a majority of scholars feel Paul didn’t write the pastoral epistles at all, but two sentences later includes Titus 3:5 in a short list of passages that are “quintessentially Pauline.” (p.362)

I spent a long time online and with most of my go-to print commentaries seeing no other mention of this.

The key is apparently verse 8:

⁸ This is a trustworthy saying

But then Ruth suggested the NET Bible notes which say,

Verses 4-7 are set as poetry in [certain original manuscripts]. These verses probably constitute the referent of the expression “this saying” in verse 8. This is … a single skillfully composed sentence in Greek showing the goals of God’s merciful salvation…

This would make it similar to the Philippian Hymn of Philippians 2 which is more commonly indented in a larger number of translations. So if we use that passage as our guide, and say, ‘This was a hymn that was commonly known to the people to whom Paul was writing,’ we would have to say the same thing here.

Or conversely, Paul may have been doing a centuries-ahead-of-his time thing that the manuscripts the NET Bible translators checking the early manuscripts observed, and that is including what we today call a “shout out” or “call out” in the text to highlight a particular word or phrase. Remember, they had no bold face font, no italics, no large font, no underlining and no colored ink process at their disposal. If you were trying to make a point, you either made it in prose or poetry or by the sheer force of the words themselves.

It makes the passage more noteworthy, and that means it bears repeating here (and may I suggest bears memorizing), all the way to the end of verse 7 and with this we conclude, quoting from the NET Bible itself.

^4… “when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, ⁵ he saved us not by works of righteousness that we have done but on the basis of his mercy, through the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he poured out on us in full measure through Jesus Christ our Savior. ⁷ And so, since we have been justified by his grace, we become heirs with the confident expectation of eternal life.”

– o – o – o –

I’m reminded here of the song, The Reckless Love of God. I know that in some churches, the use of the word ‘reckless’ is controversial, but it’s these words that I feel fits the above verses so well.

…I couldn’t earn it I don’t deserve it

Still You give Yourself away

O the overwhelming never-ending reckless

Love of God yeah…

What it Means to “Sow to the Spirit”

My experience shows that those who plant trouble and cultivate evil will harvest the same. – Job 4:8 NLT

What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! – Romans 6:21 NIV

Sometimes in the rush to translate scriptures into more reader-friendly forms, we can lose the context of what the writer is saying. When Paul talks about “sowing to the flesh” and “sowing to the spirit” we can try to make that understandable, but can forget that in the overall passage, the Apostle Paul is using agricultural imagery.

We have readers here who are new to Christianity, or new to the Bible, so here’s the contrasting image — sowing to the flesh — from the key verses below in two other translations:

Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. (verse 8a; NLT; notice the image of harvesting is preserved)

If you plant in the field of your natural desires, from it you will gather the harvest of death. (verse 8a, GNT; notice the use of planting instead of sowing)

Hope that helps. Now on to the devotional itself.

Today we are again highlighting the writing of Bernie Lyle who writes at Musings from an Idle Mind. Clicking the title which follows allows you to read this at its original site.

Sowing to the Spirit

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭7‬-‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The days are increasingly evil. The prevailing tendency of humanity is to sow to the flesh; performing deeds, not or the benefit of others, but advancement of self. There is little concern for the law of sowing and reaping, for many have long lost the ability to consider the ultimate spiritual consequences of our actions. The natural man sees only what gives him pleasure and personal gain.

The eternal being; one who has thoughtfulness regarding the longterm consequences of life; is aware of the cost and takes actions that serve to glorify the lord they know that. This is especially true of those who are in the household of faith. Christians know that they are a part of something far greater, for they are part of the household of faith, and all that is done in the body affects everyone. The air.

We are entering a time when the church of Jesus Christ will be dependent upon itself, for the world will turn away, becoming an adversary.

Even now there those who are struggling as the world that surrounds them reflects the prince and power of air. Yet it is crucial that all be like the early believers just beyond Pentecost.

“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭42‬-‭45‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The world we live in consumed with the idea of sowing to self, laying aside the commandments and mission that the Lord has given us; instead seeking to created ones own comfort. The things that we allow to consume us that lend themselves to the flesh; ultimately become corrupted.

Brothers and sisters, we are not receiving that which is perishable, but that which is enduring and eternal. All that we did for the glory of God will not perish, and ultimately builds the body. Let us be mindful to do all that we do for the eternal, making sure we do good for all, for we are all called to the mission of sharing the gospel.

Let us also do good to those in the household of faith, for there will be no help from the world. Do not be weary in doing good, for the Lord has great blessings for many who meet the needs of the weak among us.

May we walk as those who are filled with the Spirit of God; demonstrating and abundance of fruit.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭22‬-‭26‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

 

‘My People? I Thought They Were Your People’

Today we return again to My Morning Meal, and writer Peter Corak. He writes,

I really do enjoy my morning time in the word. Over the past number of years it has gone from a “discipline” (nothing wrong with that) to a passion. I look forward to opening up the Bible and seeing what’s there for me.

Click the title below to link to his site and today’s article.

Your People! No, Your People

“The LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” (Ex. 33:11).

Scripture testifies that this was the unique relationship between the Creator and this particular image-bearer. Like neighbors might over a backyard fence, they’d interact within a holy tent. On matters of common care and concern they’d counsel together. And sometimes it could get a little testy, as it might between friends. Case in point, a conversation about a golden calf and what to do about it.

It’s a good thing that Moses wasn’t omnipresent and omniscient and thus couldn’t see what the LORD saw. That, when he interceded with the LORD over God’s reaction to the god-making project going on in the camp, he didn’t see as the LORD had seen; the out-of-control feasting and partying, the idol-worshiping induced revelry. When God saw the depths of the people’s sin while together with Moses on the mount, His wrath burned hot (Ex. 32:10-11). Later, when Moses descended the mountain and witnessed what was happening firsthand, his anger would “burn hot” too (Ex. 32:19). Had Moses been fully able to conceive of what was going on in the camp while on the mount, I wonder how ready he would have been to step up as their mediator. But he hadn’t experienced the fullness of their sin as God had, and so he did intercede on the people’s behalf. And it’s in that conversation where I wonder at the manner in which Moses, in a sense, holds God to His word.

And the LORD said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” And the LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. Now therefore let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.”

But Moses implored the LORD his God and said, “O LORD, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people, whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?”

(Exodus 32:7-11 ESV)

Your people . . . that’s the phrase that caught my attention this morning.

Says God to Moses, “These are your people who you brought out of Egypt who have corrupted themselves.” Moses, respectfully I’m sure (how else do you speak to a consuming fire?), counters, “Uh, not really . . . these are actually Your people, Lord, whom You have brought out of Egypt.”

Yeah, they were, in fact, God’s people. Promised to Abraham, redeemed by blood. Once in slavery, rescued in power. Stiff-necked, yet secured through unrelenting steadfast love.

Moses, the intercessor, has a face-to-face conversation with the God who has bound Himself by covenant to a people whose hearts remain inclined toward idolatry, toward worshiping a created thing rather than the Creator. And so, Moses reminds the LORD, they’re Your people. Not my people, says Moses, but the people of Your promise, Your provision, and Your power to forgive, and forgive again.

And the LORD relented from the disaster that He had spoken of bringing on His people.

(Exodus 32:14 ESV)

The God of grace had, before the foundation of the earth, determined a way to justly withhold His burning hot wrath from a people who deserved it. And He had ordained that a mediator would remind Him of it, that there would be one who interceded on behalf of His people.

We have such a mediator. One better than Moses. One where the conversation might go something like this.

The Father: Your people have sinned, yielded again to idolatry, deserving the just, burning hot wrath of a holy, holy, holy God.

The Son: Yes Father, they are My people. Bought with My blood and sealed with My Spirit. Forgive them for Your great Name’s sake . . . again. Because of the finished work of My cross, hear once more their prayers of confession and lead them once again in the way of repentance. Restore to them the joy of their salvation. For they are Our people.

Yes, we are.

And Jesus always lives to make intercession for us (Heb. 7:25). For His people.

People saved . . . and being saved . . . by grace alone. People saved . . . and being saved . . . for God’s glory alone.

Amen?

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Unrelated bonus video:

Our son Chris put together this 4-part acapella version of Refiner’s Fire by Brian Doerksen, and I thought we would share it with you today. It’s his first attempt doing something like this.

 

 

Recognizing the Depth of our Sinfulness

Today we’re back with another article by Doug Eaton at his blog Flight of Faith.  Doug is the Executive Director of Admissions for Trinity International University, which consists of: Trinity College, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Trinity Law School, and Trinity Graduate School. Clicking the title below will take you to where today’s devotional originated.

If We Say We Have No Sin

I once encountered a professing Christian who boldly declared he had not sinned in over ten years. The Apostle John’s words resound: “He has deceived himself, and the truth is not in him.” False teachings occasionally surface, suggesting that individuals can rise above the struggle with sin entirely in this life, but the Word of God says otherwise.

John provides this profound truth in 1 John 1:8: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” He is speaking to believers about walking in the light. When he talks about our sin, it is in the present tense, which means our having sin is not merely a thing of the past. It is current. Biblical history, Church History, and even our own experience all confirm there is a war between the flesh and the Spirit within every born-again believer.

Claiming sinlessness is not only saying they have stayed away from everything prohibited by God in word, thought, deed, and desire, but it also claims to have done everything he commanded perfectly. For someone to claim they have loved the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength and loved every neighbor as themselves every second of every day for ten years is beyond delusional. It is saying their righteousness is equal with Christ himself in their earthly humanity.

To assert sinlessness, even as a Christian, is self-deception, and it exposes a lack of truth within us—it is walking in darkness. John’s words hold a vital lesson for those striving to walk in the light—it doesn’t demand perfection. Instead, it beckons a disposition of the soul toward Jesus. It involves recognizing our struggle with sin and constant trust in the imputed righteousness he provides through his death on the cross and resurrection.

Though Jesus has forgiven our iniquities and even our conscience has been washed clean by his blood, we are still aware of our indwelling sin and commanded to fight against it. Though our sin no longer condemns us, we still must acknowledge it and strive to put it to death.

Renowned theologian Matthew Henry wisely noted that Christianity is a religion of sinners. Understanding our sinful nature is essential, for if you do not think you are a sinner, then you do not think you need a Savior. If you do not think you need a Savior, then you do not know Jesus—the truth is not in you.

Awareness of the depth of our sinfulness brings us face-to-face with the reality of the cross. The more we grasp the extent of our transgressions, the more our understanding of what Jesus endured for our sake becomes profound. Conversely, the more we comprehend the depth of Jesus’ sacrifice, the more we will know the depth of our own sinfulness.

Not only does deceiving ourselves about our current sinfulness darken our hearts about what Christ accomplished for us, but we will not fight against the sin we deny exists within us. In essence, 1 John 1:8 teaches us that humility before God involves acknowledging our ongoing need for His grace. Walking in the light is not about claiming perfection but embracing our dependence on Jesus. By recognizing our sinfulness and working to mortify it, we find a deeper connection with the crucified Savior, understanding the magnitude of His sacrifice on our behalf.

Like Paul, we cry out, “Who will save me from this body of death?” The only answer to that question is Jesus. He has justified us, he is sanctifying us, and he will one day make us sinless through glorification when we awaken in his presence and see him face to face. Until that day in glory, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

Characteristics of Godly Sorrow

About 25 years ago a Christian publisher did a series of books titled “Lists to Live By” which I seem to recall were a copy of something trending in the wider publishing world.

As a culture we love lists. We gravitate to visual representation of what previous generations would have put in paragraphs when it appears today as numbered lists, bullet points, charts, graphs, Venn diagrams, etc. Even in editing this devotional, I tend to do more frequent paragraph breaks than would have been needed in previous decades.

As Christians we tend to over-organize and over-analyze what should be an organic faith. Instead, people dealing with the issues of faith, the issues of life, or both seek answers online and are happy to find resources titled “Six Steps You Can Take to…” or “Four Ways to Find…”

Still if you like lists — and we do — the Apostle Paul’s epistles (letters) do not disappoint. If you’ll forgive the bullet points, he brings us:

• 9 fruit of the Spirit
• characteristics of love
• 7 pieces of the armor of God
• 9 supernatural spiritual gifts
• marks of spiritual growth (Col 1:9ff)
• evidences of the works of the flesh (Gal. 5)

So I was a little surprised this week, upon beginning my day with the NIV Bible app, to realize I’d missed his list of the fruit of godly sorrow.

The context was 2 Corinthians 7:9,10

And now I rejoice, not because you were made sorrowful, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you felt the sorrow that God had intended, and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

You’re probably familiar with the section underlined above, that true, Godly sorrow brings repentance.

But then there’s the next verse which spells out what that looks like:

Consider what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what zeal, what vindication! In every way you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.

I want to break that list down in — appropriately enough today — bullet points. Let’s jump to the NLT:

Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you!

• Such earnestness,
• such concern to clear yourselves,
• such indignation,
• such alarm,
• such longing to see me,
• such zeal, and
• such a readiness to punish wrong.
  You showed that you have done everything necessary to
• make things right.

Eugene Peterson (The Message) renders it as,

And now, isn’t it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has

• goaded you closer to God?
• You’re more alive,
• more concerned,
• more sensitive,
• more reverent,
• more human,
• more passionate,
• more responsible.
  Looked at from any angle, you’ve come out of this with
• purity of heart.

I love the spiritual intensity of what Paul is describing here.

…I realize for some, we put the cart before the horse so to speak, and you’re wondering what is the “Godly sorrow” that produces all this. GotQuestions.org tells us that,

…Paul’s reference to godly sorrow in 2 Corinthians 7 was brought about by the reaction of the Corinthian believers to a previous letter in which Paul rebuked them for the dissentions that were present in the church. Although he was sorry to have to hurt them, he rejoiced that his letter brought them to godly sorrow “as God intended.” Godly sorrow is that which brings the repentance that leads to salvation (2 Corinthians 7:8–9).

Godly sorrow is a kind of wretchedness that can bring the repentant sinner to tears of grief. A good example of this is Peter at the time of Jesus’ arrest and trials. When accused as being one of Jesus’ followers, Peter disowned Jesus by cursing and swearing to his accusers that he did not know the Man. Upon hearing the rooster crow three times, he remembered the words of Jesus, who had prophesied Peter’s very actions, and he went out and wept bitterly (Matthew 26:74–75)… [italics added]

The NLT for verse 9 reads that “It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have.”

We’ve often quoted Jerry Bridges here, who said that “We never see sin correctly as if we see as against God.” Have you already broken a New Year’s resolution? You probably let yourself down, and perhaps some friends or family who were in on your best-laid plans, but it wasn’t sin. Sin is that which grieves the heart of God. We sin against God.

That should produce Godly sorrow, which in turn should produce the type of resolve to live the life we’ve listed three times above.

Did the Definition of “Sin” Change?

Ten years ago we introduced you to Joel Spencer who writes at, The Double-Edged Sword (tag line: “Striving to live as Messiah… without all of the religious nonsense”). Somehow he missed getting into our regular rotation here, but today that changes. Joel, his wife, and family live in Southwestern Virginia. Click the line which follows to read this where it first appeared.

What Is Sin?

Let us not believe that sin is somehow defined differently now.

“We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ” When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. – Genesis 3 NIV

…sin is lawlessness.  1 John 3:5b NIV

We know that the law is good when used correctly. For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy… 1 Timothy 1:8-9a  NLT

In this world of gray, black and white still remains, for those who adhere to the Bible. Sin is lawlessness and there is no way around it. It is not a mere mistake. It is no faultless decision. It is transgression. Period.

Romans 4:15 “For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.”

If we remove Father’s law, what defines sin? There would be no more sin. There would be no black and white and all is up to personal discretion? One could be as extreme as he desires and justify it entirely. Why? Most believe that the Torah is done away with, therefore we’re left to determine sin on our own. What is sin to you is not sin to me.

Welcome to this present moment, friends.  Anything goes and the Garden deception churns on for yet another generation. Our verse today describes “lawlessness” as violation; contempt; wickedness. Although we want to just the paintbrush of “grace” all over this, a humble man must yield to it entirely and admit that we have inherited a belief system of lawlessness.

The fruit on the tree is evidence that this is not working. So what do we do? We “teshuvah”… we return.  We find the ancient, good way and walk in it. We remember Father’s ways and begin to learn anew, as children who have had no teacher.

May we not continue to perpetuate the cycle of the Garden. “Did Yahweh *really* demand that you be under such burdensome restrictions? A good ‘God’ would never put such demands upon His children. Be free!!!!”

The Torah of Yahweh is “good… if one uses it lawfully.” Selah.

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Thanks to those of you sent messages following our 5,000th devotional/study post on Monday. If you missed it, click here to read.

Something — Lots of Things — To Think About

In the days long before “Footprints,” you could walk into a Christian bookstore and buy the “Whatsoever things are true…” plaque, also known as “Think on These Things.” Perhaps you had one in your home growing up; but in a recent survey of Christian giftware, it’s actually now hard to find.

In a world where everything was in black-and-white and in King James English, your plaque of Philippians 4:8  probably read like this:

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Here’s how The Message translates it, with verse nine added:

Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

The challenge is that it’s easy for wild thoughts to enter our heads and park there.  Sometimes we’re capable of either remembering or even creating stuff that shouldn’t be there.   I believe it’s possible for us to de-toxify our minds, but getting clear from concepts or narratives that are lodged there may take days or weeks and requires discipline.

Nobody likes to think of themselves as “depraved” but one of the things Calvinism has highlighted to us is the phrase “total depravity;” it’s actually the “T” in the “TULIP” acronym.

Catholics say that we are born with “original sin;” though to see to widespread nature of different types of sinful acts is to know there’s nothing original about it.

The “Four Spiritual Laws” begin with premise that “Man is sinful and separated from God…”

But what happens after conversion?

Much of the Apostle Paul’s writings discuss the dual nature; the fight put up by the desires of the flesh. James talks about “double mindedness.” In the epistles at least, we get a picture of the spiritual warfare raging all around us; the accompanying tension between where we are positionally in Christ, and where we find ourselves pragmatically in the world.

But on Sunday mornings, nobody wants to admit this.  That’s probably why in surveys of “weird hymn and chorus lyrics” people always vote for:

Prone to wander, Lord I feel it;
Prone to leave the God I love.

I mean seriously, what terrible advertising for the Christian life. Nobody wants to admit to that propensity to sin. And as for depravity, Dictionary.com defines it as “moral corruption” and there are people I know who don’t know Christ that I would regard as “upstanding morally;” so I don’t think too many Christ-followers would even want to say they were depraved before they made Him lord of their lives.

Have you ever been driving your car or out for a walk and your mind wanders into less than stellar territory?  Then, after the thought has flashed through your brain — or perhaps parked there for about five minutes — you realize how people are — how you are and how I am — always just a few mis-steps away from conceding to our human nature and its way of thinking.

But we are also possessed of a divine nature. I want to end this the way the song quoted above ends; with a prayer for redemption;  this was my prayer for the beginning of this week, and it’s not such a crazy hymn lyric, either:

Here’s my heart, oh take and seal it;
Seal it for Thy courts above.

What fills your mind? Take a cue from Philippians and determine to think on better things.

Don’t Be Resigned to Our Sinful Nature

Today another new writer to introduce to you, who is unnamed. The blog is called Starlight. There are a number of practical and applicable articles waiting for you there. You can also click the link in the title which follows which will take you to where this appeared first.

Fight the Flesh

Recently I have been aware of the very real fight against the flesh: that inner struggle the Christian has to ‘live by the Spirit’.

We are living in a world that is consumed by its own desires. Society is moving away from truth to live by feeling. Things that have never been questioned and seen as fact, are now under examination. There is such confusion that hardly anyone seems to know which way is up and down!

I think back to the period of the Judges in the Bible which was described as a time where there was no King and “...Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:25). Our world could largely be described as this now, the only difference being that even those in government are corrupt. This is a world that wants nothing to do with God and with the ‘air of positivity’ flowing around, no one wants to think of the consequences of their actions.

While this largely describes society, this should not be the case for the Christ-follower.

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.

Galatians 5:16-17

Some people will try to justify their sinful actions by saying its ‘just natural’ or ‘only human’. That is true because sin is in our bodies: we are all born with a sinful nature that is in rebellion to God. But when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we “.. have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.” (Romans 6:18). Christians can say ‘no’ to sin and the Spirit guides and convicts us as to what displeases God.

The way a Christian lives should be vastly different from the world. Sin should cause us to grieve and our minds disciplined to obey God rather than the flesh. If we struggle we can take heart, because we know we aren’t alone in the battle. The Bible tells us that  “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.” (1 Corinthians 10:13). Anyone seeking to please God will struggle against the flesh so we know that even if we feel alone in the battle, we aren’t. It’s important for us to gather regularly with like-minded believers and to have accountability and when we do so we can be encouraged and strengthened to press on. Not only this, but as the verse continues: And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. God doesn’t leave us unequipped to deal with the temptations that we face on a regular basis, but provides what we need to say no and to combat against that desire.

So in our struggle, we can take heart. There is an ongoing battle with the flesh but we aren’t alone. What’s important is that we do fight against sin. In the end, we know there is victory in Jesus and one day, this struggle will finally be over.

If you are fighting sin, you are alive. Take heart. But if sin holds sway unopposed, you are dead no matter how lively this sin makes you feel.
-John Owen

 

 

The Issues of Life

Today’s devotional is a scripture medley. It is based on an outline sheet found in a Bible being donated to Christian Salvage Mission. It’s interesting to think that somewhere in time, a local church pastor penned this outline, and today it’s being shared to people around the world here! What follows appears with the “issues” exactly as printed with scriptures we’ve selected from various translations at BibleHub.com.

■ Foolishness

1 Corinthians 1:18 NLT – The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.

■ Sin

James 2:10 NIV – For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

Romans 6:23 NET – For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

■ Lust of the Eye

Matthew 5:27-30 CSB – “You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery. But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

■ Sexual Relationship

1 Corinthians 7:2-5 NLT – But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband. The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife. Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

■ Body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 6: 12-20 NIV – “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything… (15) Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit. Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

■ Suppressing the Truth

Romans 1:18-32 CEV – From heaven God shows how angry he is with all the wicked and evil things that sinful people do to crush the truth. They know everything that can be known about God, because God has shown it all to them. God’s eternal power and character cannot be seen. But from the beginning of creation, God has shown what these are like by all he has made. That’s why those people don’t have any excuse. They know about God, but they don’t honor him or even thank him. Their thoughts are useless, and their stupid minds are in the dark. They claim to be wise, but they are fools.  They don’t worship the glorious and eternal God. Instead, they worship idols that are made to look like humans who cannot live forever, and like birds, animals, and reptiles.

So God let these people go their own way. They did what they wanted to do, and their filthy thoughts made them do shameful things with their bodies. They gave up the truth about God for a lie, and they worshiped God’s creation instead of God, who will be praised forever. Amen.

God let them follow their own evil desires. Women no longer wanted to have sex in a natural way, and they did things with each other that were not natural. Men behaved in the same way. They stopped wanting to have sex with women and had strong desires for sex with other men. They did shameful things with each other, and what has happened to them is punishment for their foolish deeds.

Since these people refused even to think about God, he let their useless minds rule over them. That’s why they do all sorts of indecent things. They are evil, wicked, and greedy, as well as mean in every possible way. They want what others have, and they murder, argue, cheat, and are hard to get along with. They gossip, say cruel things about others, and hate God. They are proud, conceited, and boastful, always thinking up new ways to do evil. These people don’t respect their parents.They are stupid, unreliable, and don’t have any love or pity for others. They know God has said that anyone who acts this way deserves to die. But they keep on doing evil things, and they even encourage others to do them.

■ God’s Rules

1 Timothy 1:8-11 NASB – But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.

■ Put to Death

Colossians 3:5-11 BSB – Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience. When you lived among them, you also used to walk in these ways. But now you must put aside all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices, and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all and is in all.

■ Application

1 Corinthians 6: 18-20 NLT – Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

Romans 10:9 CSB – If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

 

 

Jesus Didn’t Die for a Few Close Friends

Romans 5:6-8 — When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (NLT)

 

Today’s devotional follows a style that we don’t normally include here, but crisis moments in our lives can be pivotal in helping us see spiritual truths. It also reminded us that while people may wish to debate our doctrines, or the way in which we interpret life events, they can’t argue with the events themselves. To put it another way, they can debate the truths you hold to, but can’t debate the circumstances you experienced.

Twice a year we visit the devotional site of The Presbyterian Church in Canada, which features a different writer every day. The author today is Don Lipsett. Clicking the title below will also provide you with the option of hearing today’s thoughts on audio.

While Still His Enemy

Romans 5:10-11 – For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. (NLT)

While in my early 20s, I was a nominal Christian. I went to church, but did not know Jesus as One Who died to save me from my sins and give me a “wonderful new relationship with God”. Briefly, I worked for a company in Toronto, Canada, that did repairs for ships on the Great Lakes. One day, a section of a propeller shaft had to be straightened slightly. It was a heavy piece of solid steel about eight feet (2.5 metres) long and one foot (30 centimetres) in diameter. The operator suspended it on two rope slings in a press that put great pressure on the shaft to take out the warp.

Joining the other workers, I watched the gauge needle slowly vibrate its way up to a pressure of 600 pounds per square inch. Suddenly, a voice spoke in my mind — neither male nor female — with just a terse, one-word command: MOVE! A second voice instantly followed the first, a kind of wheedling voice that told me, Don’t move! You’ll look stupid if you move! Nobody else is moving! Don’t!

Inside, though, I knew that I had to move, and I did — about ten feet (three metres) away. Seconds later, one of the rope slings broke, and the propeller shaft was launched like a missile from the press. Amazingly, the second sling held and the shaft swung back in an arc until it crushed the operator against the machine. He survived, although with multiple serious injuries. Had I not moved, the shaft would have hit me first and hurled me onto the back of a truck that was loaded with copper piping, on which I would have been impaled.

Why did God graciously warn me and spare my life? He had a plan for my life — as He does for yours. In my experience, I have found two truths that I hope will both warn and encourage us:

• Does our enemy, Satan, exist? YES! He spoke to me in that second voice. What did he hope for me? His desire was simply that I stay and die about five seconds later. Jesus said, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.” (John 10:10a NLT)
• Does God exist? YES! He chose to warn me, and He did so even while I was still his enemy! Such is His grace and boundless love, not just for me — I’m not special — but for you as well. And why? So that we will invite Jesus to be our Lord and Saviour. Then, “we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.” Thank You, Jesus!

Prayer: Father, by Your Holy Spirit, allow us to see Your love for us in every way that You work in our lives, no matter how small. Build our faith, and give us the desire and strength to follow You. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Clothed in Fresh and Festive Robes

Today we’re again introducing a new Lutheran writer to you, who goes simply by Brother Logan, which is also the name of his website. There are some excellent devotionals there, including the most recent one, linked at the end of this article. Click the title below to get started.

Christ, our Advocate

We go through many struggles in our daily life. These struggles might be physical, emotional, or spiritual. Struggles like these are for our own good (1 Peter 5:10) and are used to grow and strengthen our faith. These struggles mainly are self afflicted, being that most struggles happen because of our sin.

Spiritual struggles are a major issue within modern Christianity. People questioning their salvation, people wondering if they are holy enough for God, or some wonder if God is even loving. This is a terrible thing that has arisen in modern culture and belief.

Whilst the radical reformers tried to be less and less like Rome, they’ve fallen into the same trap. The trap I am speaking of is works based salvation. Now, I’m not saying every modern church has fallen into this nor am I saying that every form of theology other than Lutheranism falls into this. I am stating that it is an easy trap to fall into, especially whenever our nature is truly focused on what we can do rather than what God has done.

This leads me into the focus of this post, whilst we sin and it can be a struggle or cause struggles Christ protects and advocates. We can look to the prophet Zechariah to see this in full force.

“Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right to accuse him. And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a log snatched from the fire?”

Now Joshua was clothed in filthy garments and was standing before the angel. And he responded and said to those who were standing before him, saying, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” Again he said to him, “See, I have taken your guilt away from you and will clothe you with festive robes.”

Then I said, “Have them put a clean headband on his head.” So they put the clean headband on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the Lord was standing by.” (Zechariah 3:1-5)

Christ (being the angel of the Lord) takes away our guilt and clothes us (being Joshua) with clean robes. As well the Lord rebukes Satan and his accusations.

St. Martin Luther puts it clearly, “When Satan tells me I am a sinner he comforts me immeasurably, since Christ died for sinners.”

If we were not sinners Christ’s forgiveness would not be for us! Now, with this beautiful message what else can we do other than attempt to follow Gods will? But when we fail, because we do, we have the Lord as our advocate rebuking Satan and His accusations. We are no longer looked at based upon our sinfulness but upon our status as clothed in Christ.

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Second Helping: From the same writer, check out Live to Die, a look at Paul’s words, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” 

Are We Seeing Godly Sorrow?

Once again we are back at Meanderings of a Minister written by Pastor Jack Jacob. The past five years have brought the downfall of a number of notable Christian leaders. Often restoration happens rather quickly. Too quickly. Men and women who should give up a Christian leadership profile entirely are back on the platform within months (and in one case, six weeks.)

To read this article where it first appeared, click the link contained in the title below.

What is True Repentance?

We are in an era when many public figures have been caught in sin. They have stood before microphones and the media to admit they sinned and feel bad about it. Few, if any, have gone beyond that in their speeches. They left the impression that they were more upset that they got caught than that they sinned. While I cannot judge the hearts of others, I can consider their statements and compare it to what the Bible describes as true repentance.

Consider the Bible’s definition of the marks of true repentance:

“For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.” (2 Corinthians 7:10–11, NASB95)

First, true repentance leads to turning away from sin and turning to God for forgiveness and that comes from the foundation of earnestness or a true desire to want to be different and be forgiven. The person who has sinned feels the damage to the fellowship they have with God and want it to be forgiven. The lost person who repents first realizes he does not have a relationship with God. Both examples illustrate that godly sorrow comes from God to initiate, strengthen, or confirm relationship with Him.

The desire to be vindicated is a mark of repentance as well. One wants to be cleared of the charge for which he or she knows they are guilty. This does not mean that they attempt to cover up the sin, but that they have a desire to see the sin forgiven by being covered by Christ’s blood. This precludes any desire to have the slate wiped clean just to do it all over again. True repentance comes from a desire to be holy as God is holy (Leviticus 20:7).

Additionally, true repentance includes an indignation, not at anyone who points out the sin, but at self for falling into the sin (again). There comes a hatred of sin that causes one to be indignant about their sin. This indignation is a reminder that we do not have enough strength to avoid sin on our own, but since the Holy Spirit lives in us (1 Corinthians 12:3), God will always give us enough strength and a way to escape temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13) so that we do not have to sin. We do and that is on us, and it ought to bother us.

True repentance comes with a healthy fear of God as well. This is not being afraid of God because we know He loves us, but the awe of and respect for God ought to cause us to see ourselves as falling short of His glory and feeling that we want to be who He is changing us to be. That causes us to see ourselves in the light of His glory and grace.

True repentance comes from a longing to be closer to Jesus. Sin causes damage to the fellowship we enjoy with our Lord. It is not that He avoids or hides from us, but we do from Him. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, they ran and hid in the bushes. God came walking in the garden like he always had, but they hid and that caused them not to be close to God like they were before they sinned. They longed for that relationship to be made right, but they would have to wait for many years for the sacrifice of Messiah to come.

True repentance also comes from a zeal or jealousy to protect the name of God, reputation of God, and glory of God. When a believer sins and the Holy Spirit convicts them of the sin, they realize they have hurt the way the world sees God and they want to make it right. This zeal for the Name of God draws them back to God to make things right. Like the criminal that hung next to Jesus, we want the world to stop mocking Him and look forward to spending eternity with Him. This desire draws us to turn from our sin back to our Savior.

Lastly, true repentance involves a desire to avenge the wrong we have done. This does not be self-flagellation, but it means a desire to want to do whatever it takes to make sure that we are close to, walking with, and following Jesus as Lord and Savior. This is way beyond just saying we are sorry.

What would it look like for you to truly repent from the sin you did last night? This morning? How would you know if your repentance is true repentance? What will you do?

Given a New Identity

^{NASB.Is.43.25} “I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake,
And I will not remember your sins.

^NIV.Heb.8.12 For I will forgive their wickedness
    and will remember their sins no more.

^{ESV.1John.1.9} If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

^{CSB.Heb.10.17} and I will never again remember
their sins and their lawless acts.

^{NLT.Ps.103.12} He has removed our sins as far from us
    as the east is from the west.

^NIV.John.112 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

Today we have a new source of devotional material, Christopher, who writes at The Good Word blog. Clicking the title below will also get you there, where this article appeared just a few hours ago. The scriptures above were selected from a link in the original article.

Identity

Society has become obsessed with their identity. Labels, pronouns, figuring out who you are and what you identify as.

People go around proudly displaying their sexuality, politics, religion to everyone and in every way possible.

However they end up taking it too far and they let who they are become what their labelled.

Before you know it people are all thinking and doing the same things that fit their label, their identity.

Worse society and the world want to label you as well. They want you categorized like an item, knowing what they can sell you, feed you and ultimately use against you.

Think about it, we live in a society that preaches love, tolerance, justice, forgiveness and many other good things but it is it even authentic?

A man twenty years ago when he was 18 robs a convenience store, he serves his time, changes his life around.

Do you think a big corporate company that makes bold claims on their mission statement about those before mentioned good things above would hire him?

Doubtful. There is a reason on every job application you have to answer if you have ever been convicted of a crime.

To the world and society he will always be a thief.

To the world and society people will always be identified by their mistakes, you will be the glutton, the drunk, the liar, the cheater, the bad person.

They will build you up when it benefits them but when they need to they will tear you down with your bad labels, which now become your identity.

Don’t you want something different?

What if I told you there was an alternative?

To be a part of God’s Kingdom which is not of this world.

When you have faith and repent of your sins how does God look at you?

He will remember your sin no more, He will look at you as His child. Because Scripture tells us we are fearfully and wonderfully made in His Image.

Our identity is in Christ.

We are no longer remembered for our sins. The man I mentioned before He would not be a thief in God’s eyes but instead His child.

Your identity shouldn’t be your politics, sexuality, your likes, dislikes it should be something greater. Let your identity be from God, not man.

Delivered from the Guilt of Sin

Today we’re thrilled to introduce another new writer to you. Rebecca L. Johnson has returned to her blog — tag line: Notes About Faith and Encouragement — with three posts this month after a nearly four year break. Her education includes Criminology with a dose of Theater, and she has one published book. I hope you find today’s devotional as interesting as we did. Click the title which follows and read this where it first appeared.

Context Matters

Case in Point: Psalm 32:7

Since the advent of commercializing Scripture into bite sized quotables, believers in Jesus have become more and more anesthetized to caring about the context of said Scriptures. I could point to a hundred or more examples, but this is one that I was guilty of extrapolating many years ago. The Lord has recently reminded me that in order to appreciate the sweet, we must often have to endure the ultra-sour. In order to understand the depth of His grace, we sometimes have to face the depths of despair and confront our own desperate need for His rescue.

This was highlighted for me in Psalm 32. My oldest daughter was born into a tempest as her biological father decided that he didn’t want the responsibility of being a father and so I found myself in the midst of a divorce during my pregnancy. I vowed that God would be the Father of my children and that earthly relationships of any intimate nature were a thing of the past. I got on my knees the night that he left us and handed the keys of my life and everything in it back to the Lord – You see I had been trying to control and manage my responses to external events in my own strength for about six years at that time without consulting the Lord, and my life felt like the tail end of a hurricane – I was done fighting. I had no strength left.

I searched the Scriptures for a Word that would bring comfort to myself and to my daughter specifically. I came across Psalm 32:7 “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.” This sounds, and is, poetic, beautiful and hopeful. However, we don’t stop to ask ourselves what we are being delivered from. This is the entire text of Psalm 32 from the New International Version of Scripture (the spacing is owing to its poetic form):

Blessed is the one

Whose transgressions are forgiven,

Whose sins are covered.

Blessed is the one

Whose sin the LORD does not count against them

And in whose spirit is no deceit.

When I kept silent,

My bones wasted away

Through my groaning all day long.

For day and night

Your hand was heavy on me;

My strength was sapped

As in the heat of summer.

Then I acknowledged my sin to you

And did not cover up my iniquity.

I said, “I will confess

My transgressions to the LORD.”

And you forgave

The guilt of my sin.

Therefore let all the faithful pray to you

While you may be found;

Surely the rising of the mighty waters

Will not reach them.

You are my hiding place;

You will protect me from trouble

And surround me with songs of deliverance.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

Do not be like the horse or the mule,

Which have no understanding

But must be controlled by bit and bridle

Or they will not come to you.

Many are the woes of the wicked,

But the LORD’s unfailing love

Surrounds the one who trusts in him.

Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous;

Sing, all you who are upright in heart!

The introduction to this poem sets the stage for blessing then reveals the story. This person was weighed down by sin and struggles and had no strength left. THEN! Don’t you just love those transitional words?! It signals a turning point. “THEN I acknowledged my sin to you…” I came clean. I brought into the light what had been shrouded in darkness. I handed over all my broken pieces and confessed my shame. “AND You forgave…” Wow. The weight is lifted. The relationship is restored. You forgave…Me. I didn’t deserve it. I had nothing to bargain with. There was no good excuse for my waywardness, but You forgave me anyway! THEREFORE!

I have been remarried to an amazing man for over eighteen years now because God knew that I needed a running mate in this crazy life race, and my husband (the preacher and professor) likes to say “Always see what the ‘therefore’ is there for.” “THEREFORE” – in light of this information, because of what comes before this word – “Let the faithful pray to you while you may be found…”

The rising waters will not reach them – the faithful, those who have turned from their sin, confessed, and are no longer following their own desolate path. Those who are faithful to the LORD…They will be protected from drowning and surrounded with songs of deliverance. They will find the strength in God to fill their lungs with the breath supplied by the LORD and join Him in song!

To those of you who feel like you are being led around like cattle, or blown and tossed by the wind…To those who are still trying to go your own way, follow your own heart, or find your own path…The Bible doesn’t teach you that those things will lead to life or deliverance or truth or rest for your weary soul! The Bible teaches you to turn from all those cultural cliches and to obey what the LORD is telling you to do because He loves you and knows what is best for you… what will make you thrive and excel…what will bring you joy and peace…what will protect you and preserve you when everything else around you is falling apart.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 NIV). Believe in the One who saves – His name is Jesus. Confess where you have tried to do things your own way instead of His way. Be forgiven. Then you are protected. Then you can sing!

Evil People Bearing the Image of God

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. – Genesis 1:27 NIV

“Does that mean that Hitler was made in the image of God?”

It’s a question everyone, from Sunday School children to theologians, have asked in some form. What about patently evil people. They can’t be part of God’s original design template, can they?

What got me thinking about this was the verse where Jesus is talking about prayer and encouraging his disciples to ask; to seek; to knock. He then says,

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him. – Matthew 7:11 CSB

All of the major translations, with the exception of the NLT (which uses “sinful”) retain this idea of the evil parent still being generous. We could chop the verse in half and still be left with:

If you then, who are evil, know how to give

The verse is echoed in Luke and the NASB (italics are theirs) makes a small clarification:

So if you, despite being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” – Luke 11:23 NASB

Giving, charity, grace, generosity are all marks of God the Father.

The phrase used in discussions of this nature is imago dei and the translation is somewhat obvious. But if you were paying attention a few days ago, we noted that God is not like us at all. He is wholly distinct, wholly set apart, wholly other. You might prefer to say that we were made after God’s image, in the sense that an impressionist painting is reflective of the location it wishes to convey, but in no way is a full representation of that scene.

So we all — including the evil person who still remembers their childrens’ birthdays — possess elements of the divine nature and character of God, but certainly not in full measure.

It’s the previous paragraph that might cause disagreement.

Some would argue that the reflection of God’s image can only be seen in those who have experienced the transformation of salvation, the regeneration of their spirit by His Spirit, the declaration of Christ’s Lordship over their lives, and are now a new creation in Jesus.

I would contend that the already-present image of the Creator is being perfected in the life of the believer.

[Y]ou have put off the old self with its practices and have been clothed with the new man that is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created it. – Colossians 3:9b-10 NET

So yes, Hitler, Judas, Putin, and anyone else you want to name.

Ruth Wilkinson writes here occasionally, and I asked her about this subject and her first reaction was to look at Cain, who she said is “ground zero” for evil.

I interrupted her at that point and said, “Isn’t ‘ground zero’ the fall through the disobedience of Eve and Adam?”

She responded that while their actions revealed their sin nature, it was the Bible’s first murder which shows the fruit of human sin and disobedience. It was also the first time someone sinned against another person.

^{NIV.Genesis.4.6} Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? ⁷ If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” ⁸ Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field. While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

God orders Cain to leave the agricultural plot that has been his subsistence and go to a far location. Cain is concerned that as a foreigner there — obviously some time has passed at this point and there are other people — they would try to kill him.

¹⁵ But the Lord said to him, “Not so, anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.

As Ruth explained this to me, it was evident that this mark, whatever it was, represents a kind of image of God stamped on Cain. It reminds me of those seals people would place in the inside cover of books in their personal library, “This book is property of…” Despite the sin (the evil) which was “crouching at the door” in Cain’s life, he was still God’s child, even though the text contains no presentation of confession and forgiveness per se.

We brought our son Aaron into the discussion, and he noted that we are to see the worth of our greatest enemies as people who are, nonetheless created in God’s image. Jesus says,

“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.” – Luke 6: 27-28 NKJV

In other words, even those who make your life miserable ought to be the recipients of your prayers and good works. That’s hard.

I looked up several discussions on this topic, and concluded that just like we are a people who live in two worlds, so we are a people who reflect conflicting images. We are created in God’s image, but we bear the marks of sin.

However, as we draw near to God through Christ, the image of God is restored — I think of a classic painting that undergoes restoration by a skilled artisan — we are made anew.

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!– 2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT