Tag Archive | Sin

A Jealous God

“Since he is the only God, the Creator of heaven and earth, he cannot endure that any creature of his own hands, or fiction of a creature’s imagination should be thrust into his throne and be made to wear his crown.” – Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Human jealousy is rooted in selfishness, anger, envy and pride.

In Othello, Shakespeare called it “the green-eyed monster.”
Charles Spurgeon said “Self-love is, no doubt, the usual foundation of human jealousy…the fear lest another should by any means supplant us.”
Paul included jealousy in a list of works of the flesh in Galatians 5:20, a list that includes such sins as sexual immorality, idolatry, strife, and fits of anger.
Galatians 5:21 says, “those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Yet Moses wrote in several verses in Exodus and Deuteronomy that God is a jealous God. (All verses in ESV)

In the Ten Commandments, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.” (Exodus 20:4-6)
Speaking of the inhabitants of the land that Israel was to conquer, “You shall tear down their altars and break their pillars and cut down their Asherim (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God),”(Exodus 34:13-14)
“Take care, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make a carved image, the form of anything that the Lord your God has forbidden you. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”(Deuteronomy 4:23-24)
“You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.” (Deuteronomy 5:9-10)
“You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you— for the Lord your God in your midst is a jealous God—lest the anger of the Lord your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth.”(Deuteronomy 6:14-15)
“They stirred him to jealousy with strange gods; with abominations they provoked him to anger.” (Deuteronomy 32:16)

Notice in each of these Scriptures, God is jealous when someone gives to another something that rightly belongs to Him. In these verses, God is speaking of people worshiping idols instead of giving God the allegiance and worship that belongs to Him alone.

Idolatry is not just defined as a worshipping a craven image. Anything we desire more than God is an idol. Possessions, money, celebrities, desires, even family members can become idols if we allow them to have first place in our lives. God calls us to love, seek, obey, thank and worship Him with our whole heart. Nothing of this world is to be lifted above God.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37)
“Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!” Psalm 119:2-3
“Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever!”(Deuteronomy 5:29)
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.” (Psalm 9:1)
“Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord.” (2 Chronicles 20:18)

Let’s spend some time today in prayer, asking God to show us anything we are putting above the Lord in our lives. We serve a God who wants first place in our lives, a God whose name is Jealous (Exodus 34:14).

Gratefulness and Peace Always

May30

In last week’s Thankful Thursday post we looked at how the joy of the Lord and thankfulness are related (https://wordpress.com/post/hopeandlight.blog/4208).

This week we’ll be studying a verse from Colossians that links gratitude and peace.

“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” Colossians‬ ‭3:15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Or as the same verse says in the Amplified Bible:

“Let the peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions thatul arise]. To this peace indeed you were called as members in one body [of believers]. And be thankful [to God always].”

‭I especially like the Amplified version of this verse, because it defines “the peace of Christ” as an inner calm that comes to those who daily walk with the Lord. This is the kind of peace God has made available for us as followers of Jesus Christ, and this walk is the key to being thankful to God at all times.

God-Living Girls with Chronic Illness, a group I work with, it currently doing a study written by Jodie Barrett and Donna Fender of Faithfully Following Ministries and entitled Verse By Verse, Growing Closer to God. One of this week’s lessons was on the importance of having an on-fire relationship with God.

A relationship with the Lord that is not vibrant and alive does not provide the peace or thankfulness we desire. Just walking through the motions of picking up our Bible once a day, reading a few verses, and then putting it down and not applying what we read to our daily lives is of little benefit. But an on-fire walk with our Savior, where we abide with Him and stay attached to the Vine for nourishment and strength to do what He asks of us is the type of relationship that brings peace and gratitude.

The peace of Christ is not only the peace we experience when there is no conflict. It includes a sense of wholeness and well-being, completeness and totality, even in the midst of overwhelming trials. Ultimately, the peace of Christ in its essence is the very presence of Christ. It’s the peace that accepts the truth no circumstance is too big that it is beyond God’s control.

And with this inner peace that is born in relationship with God and grows as we walk close to Him through whatever circumstances that touch our lives, comes an attitude of gratitude. I saw this in my own life last November, when in the midst of a situation I had dreaded for years, the loss of our medically fragile son David, God gave supernatural peace.

That peace produced a gratefulness for the Lord in my heart, even in the midst of the deep sorrow and grieving in releasing our son to God’s plan. While the peace was a gift of God’s grace as I spent time in His presence daily, the gratitude began with a choice to be thankful in the midst of the pain. But with that choice, gratitude became a natural fruit of the inner peace.

Do you want to experience both peace and an attitude of gratitude that isn’t shaken regardless of the circumstances that touch your life? If so, the key is to make sure nothing blocks your view of God. Sin does that in our lives, so if the Holy Spirit convicts you of a sin that needs to be confessed and dealt with, don’t ignore it.

As Paul David Tripp said, “Our sin is what separates us from God, but it’s our self righteousness that keeps us from running to Him for the grace He willingly gives to all who come.” Humble yourself and confess any sin God shows you, receive His forgiveness and grace. And you will be set free to walk in God’s peace and with a grateful heart.

Only Because of God’s Mercy: God Uses Imperfect People

Jan9

Hebrews 11 has been called the “Hall of Faith,” but have you ever really examined the lives of the people listed there? These are the people God used to change history, but Max Lucado has described the men and women listed in this chapter as “a rag-bag of ne’er-do-wells and has-beens who found hope, not in their performance, but in God’s proverbially open arms.”

Let’s examine a couple of these men of faith. Abraham, the Father of the Jewish people, lied about his wife Sarah, as recorded in Genesis 12:11-20, saying she wasn’t really his wife but his sister – a half-truth – even asking her to join in the lie because he was afraid the Egyptians would notice her beauty and kill him to take her as their own. And then a little later, he did it again. Not what I would call a man of integrity! And yet he has a major part in the Hall of Faith. God forgave Abraham and continued to use him for His purposes.

Then let’s look at David, whom God called a man after His own heart. 2 Samuel 11 gives us a dark picture of an episode of his life when he saw a beautiful woman and decided he wanted her, even if she was married to one of his faithful soldiers. He not only took Bathsheba for himself and got her pregnant, but when his scheme to cover up his sin failed, he came up with a plan to have her husband killed on the battlefield. Again, not exactly the kind of man I’d look up to. Yet David repented and was forgiven for these sins, and God continued to work through him in spite of his huge failure in this situation.

And there are lots of other imperfect people listed in this chapter, men who had genuine faith in God and were used by Him but still had major flaws in their character. And unfortunately, this wasn’t limited to the men God used in Biblical times. Even the genealogy of Jesus includes some women we definitely would not look up to as examples of godly women: Tamar was guilty of adultery, and Rahab was a harlot, just to name a couple of the women who are discussed in the Bible.

As I read a devotional from Max Lucado’s book Chronicles of the Cross earlier this week that spoke of the men and women God used in the Bible, the message was clear. God uses people to change lives and to change the world – and the only kind of people He has to choose from are imperfect people. He did this during biblical times, and He still does it today. God never condones sin – and there are consequences when we make wrong choices. God allowed Abraham to be chased out of Egypt because of his sin. David repented, yet he faced serious ramifications as a result of his sin. But what a clear picture of the loving and forgiving nature of our merciful and gracious God.

On this Thankful Thursday, lets give thanks for our God who doesn’t treat us as we deserve to be treated, but who gives us both mercy – not punishing us as our sins deserve, and grace – blessing us in spite of the fact that we fail daily to live up to His standards. And let’s remember that God uses imperfect people – the only kind He has to choose from. In light of the amazing love and mercy of God, make yourself available to serve Him.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor and theologian who served God faithfully in the midst of intense persecution by the Nazis that led to his martyrdom, said “Once a man has truly experienced the mercy of God in his life, he will henceforth aspire only to serve.”

Exploring Our Theme, Part 3: Walking in the Light

Dec30

During the month of December, I have been doing a Bible reading plan by Rachel Wojo entitled The Light. As I prepared to write this final post exploring the theme of my blog, Hope & Light, I realized my idea of what it means to walk in the light has changed during this study as my understanding of why Jesus came to earth has grown.

Here are some key things I learned this month from my daily reading plan about Jesus as the Light.

Jesus came to earth, God in human flesh, to bring light to a world of great darkness.

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” Isaiah‬ ‭9:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

He came as the Light that would draw not only Israel but also the Gentile nations to Himself.

“See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” Isaiah‬ ‭60:2-3‬ ‭NIV‬

As a light to the nations, Jesus has the power to open blind eyes and to bring freedom to those held captive, whether their captivity is by physical chains and bars or by sin.

“I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.” Isaiah‬ ‭42:6-7‬ ‭NIV‬

The Gospel of John confirms that Jesus is the One spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, clearly identifying Jesus Christ as the Light.

Jesus is the Light of men, the Light that darkness is not able to overcome.

“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John‬ ‭1:4-5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

By believing in Jesus, the Light, we become children of light.

“Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” John‬ ‭12:35-36a‬ ‭NIV‬

He came into this world as light, so those who believe in Him no longer need to walk in darkness. Walking in spiritual darkness is no longer our lifestyle.

“I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” John‬ ‭12:46‬ ‭NIV‬

So now to get back to the theme of walking in the light, the main thing God spoke to my heart from this study is this simply means walking with Jesus, who is the Light. To learn how to walk in the light, we do what He instructed us to do, as recorded in Matthew 11. We yield to Him, come into His yoke and walk through life at His side, allowing Him to carry the bigger part of the burden.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew‬ ‭11:28-30‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The most familiar Scripture about walking in the light is found in the first chapter of the epistle of 1 John. Before my recent study on Jesus as The Light, 1 John 1:7 was the main verse I had in mind when I chose the second half of the name of my blog.

“If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.” 1 John‬ ‭1:6-10‬ ‭NIV

Yes, this is still an important verse in understanding what it means to walk in the light. Knowing how to scripturally deal with sin is an important part of walking in the light. But I believe it is only a small part of the meaning of the phrase.

To walk in the light in its fullness is to walk with the Light, our Lord Jesus Christ, to walk as He walked when He walked on this earth and to allow Him to lead us in everything we say and do as we walk on the earth.