God's desire for the Israelites was that they remain pure in all that they do and say. That is one of the reasons why He gave them laws and decrees to follow. The commands given in Leviticus 6:24-30 demonstrate God's desire for them to remain holy, and God gave the priests such explicit directions concerning His Law because of that desire for holiness. God guided the priest in every step of the sacrificial process-everything from where and how to kill the sacrifice to how to eat the allotted portions.
And God's desire for us has not changed over time; He desires holiness from His people even today. Thus, He gave us the Law through His prophet Moses, showed us how to live out the Law through His Son Jesus, and continues to guide us through the Holy Spirit. In all things, God guides us every step of the way. God's guidance in our lives is a blessing, not a curse. God never forces us to do anything, but in His mercy shows us the best possible path.
Thomas Watson writes, "God shows mercy in guiding and directing us. He guides our affairs for us; and chalks out the way He would have us to walk...HE guides our heads to keep us from error; and He guides our feet to keep us from scandal. Oh, what mercy it is-to have Gd to be our guide and pilot!" God is not a tyrant who simply demands submission to His laws; He is a God of great mercy and compassion, who desires to help us to be holy. Therefore, we ought not to feel oppressed by God's guiding commands, but rather comforted.
Living Life
Wednesday, October 05, 2011
Mercy Presupposes Sin
We are sinners, and we sin. There is nothing we can do to stop it. There is no pace we can hide where sin will not find us. If we were alone on a deserted island for forty years, we would still sin. We probably sinned today, we will probably sin tomorrow, and sin will come and haunt us for the rest of our lives. Sin is not something that we can ever totally purge from our earthly selves.
God knows that we are going to sin, and He knows what we will struggle with for the rest of our lives. We must be careful not to immerse ourselves with for the rest of our lives. We must be careful not to immerse ourselves in religion to try to become perfect and thus fall into the trap of legalism. This only leads to cycles of spiritual pride and self-condemnation. Nor should we fall into thinking that it does not matter if we sin since there is nothing that we can do about it and God will forgive us. This path only leads towards spiritual blindness and a lukewarm spiritual life, which God detests.
A.W.Pink states, "[One] issue of God's goodness is His mercy, which denotes the ready inclination of God to relieve the misery of fallen creatures. Thus 'mercy' presupposes sin." Sin is something that we need to confront head on, but only through the mercy and strength of God. God's strength allows us to battle sin and emerge in victory. It is God's mercy that restores us and gives us our hope for the future.
Living Life
God knows that we are going to sin, and He knows what we will struggle with for the rest of our lives. We must be careful not to immerse ourselves with for the rest of our lives. We must be careful not to immerse ourselves in religion to try to become perfect and thus fall into the trap of legalism. This only leads to cycles of spiritual pride and self-condemnation. Nor should we fall into thinking that it does not matter if we sin since there is nothing that we can do about it and God will forgive us. This path only leads towards spiritual blindness and a lukewarm spiritual life, which God detests.
A.W.Pink states, "[One] issue of God's goodness is His mercy, which denotes the ready inclination of God to relieve the misery of fallen creatures. Thus 'mercy' presupposes sin." Sin is something that we need to confront head on, but only through the mercy and strength of God. God's strength allows us to battle sin and emerge in victory. It is God's mercy that restores us and gives us our hope for the future.
Living Life
This Little Light of Mine
There is an old song called "This Little Light of Mine." It is a children's song about always letting the light of Christ shine through us. But this is more than just a simple song. It is a profound truth that is rooted in God's Word. In Matthew 5:14, Jesus tells us: "You are the light of the world."
Jesus was not sharing a new teaching. He did not come to destroy the Law, but to fulfill it. God the Father told us what the laws are; God the Son explained them. The picture of an eternal light sinning forth for all men to see had already been symbolically represented in Leviticus 6:8-13. Thomas Watson writes, "In the temple the fire was not to go out by night. ['The fire must be kept burning on the altar continously'] (Lev. 6:13. There was, says Cyril, a mystery in it, to show that we must be ever burning in holy affections and desires."
While we are commended to shine brightly, it is important to remember that we are just lamps; God is the light. Lamps house sources of light, but they are not the sources themselves. In this same way, we can point people towards the gift of God's salvation and the grace He pours forth, but we ourselves are not that gift. Furthermore, it is only through God's mercy that we are enable to do this. Do not take God's forgiveness lightly. Through God's mercy we were forgiven, and this mercy now enables us to share His glory. Mercy is never required; it is always undeserved. We first had to experience mercy ourselves before we could go out and show the world.
Living Life
Jesus was not sharing a new teaching. He did not come to destroy the Law, but to fulfill it. God the Father told us what the laws are; God the Son explained them. The picture of an eternal light sinning forth for all men to see had already been symbolically represented in Leviticus 6:8-13. Thomas Watson writes, "In the temple the fire was not to go out by night. ['The fire must be kept burning on the altar continously'] (Lev. 6:13. There was, says Cyril, a mystery in it, to show that we must be ever burning in holy affections and desires."
While we are commended to shine brightly, it is important to remember that we are just lamps; God is the light. Lamps house sources of light, but they are not the sources themselves. In this same way, we can point people towards the gift of God's salvation and the grace He pours forth, but we ourselves are not that gift. Furthermore, it is only through God's mercy that we are enable to do this. Do not take God's forgiveness lightly. Through God's mercy we were forgiven, and this mercy now enables us to share His glory. Mercy is never required; it is always undeserved. We first had to experience mercy ourselves before we could go out and show the world.
Living Life
He Bears Our Iniquities
If you are pulled over for speeding, you will get a ticket. It does not matter whether you know what the speed limit is or not. You have broken the law, and ignorance is not an excuse; you must deal with the consequences of your actions. This holds true for our spiritual lives as well: If we sin, whether we know it or not, we held responsible for it.
God wants us to take responsibility for both what we know and do and say, and what don't (Lev. 5:1-4). While we are often aware of our sinful nature, we are not always aware of what exactly our sins are. But the Holy Spirit will convict us in due time, and once we are made aware of specific sins, we are required to do something about them.
In the Old Testament, the Israelites were always required to beat the penalty of their sin. William Plumer writes, "The expression bearing sin or bearing iniquity, occurs more than thirty times in Scripture, and in every instance it means to bear the sufferings or penalty of sin. Thus in Leviticus 5:1, God ordains that if a person does not speak up when he hears a public charge to testify regarding something he has seen or learned about, he will 'bear his iniquity.'"
Ultimately, God must judge all sin (whether known or unknown, whether sins of action or inaction). God is good, but He cannot simply turn a blind eye to all the evil we have done. Something must be done about our sin. So God the Father sent His Son to bear the burden - that is, punishment of our sins. That is what mercy is.
Living Life
God wants us to take responsibility for both what we know and do and say, and what don't (Lev. 5:1-4). While we are often aware of our sinful nature, we are not always aware of what exactly our sins are. But the Holy Spirit will convict us in due time, and once we are made aware of specific sins, we are required to do something about them.
In the Old Testament, the Israelites were always required to beat the penalty of their sin. William Plumer writes, "The expression bearing sin or bearing iniquity, occurs more than thirty times in Scripture, and in every instance it means to bear the sufferings or penalty of sin. Thus in Leviticus 5:1, God ordains that if a person does not speak up when he hears a public charge to testify regarding something he has seen or learned about, he will 'bear his iniquity.'"
Ultimately, God must judge all sin (whether known or unknown, whether sins of action or inaction). God is good, but He cannot simply turn a blind eye to all the evil we have done. Something must be done about our sin. So God the Father sent His Son to bear the burden - that is, punishment of our sins. That is what mercy is.
Living Life
Remember Your Place
Soaking up God's love feels good. Awesome times of prayers, worship, and fruitful Bible studies are incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. These are wonderful things to experience, but let us not forget from where we came: out from under the wrath of the Lord Almighty!
We all must accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and the one and only Lord. Until this happens, we remain under the wrath of God. The Bible instructs us to approach God with fear and trembling, but not because He is some mighty, all-powerful Being who enjoys smiting worthless, insignificant people like us.
John Piper says, "Fear and trembling are not because God is our enemy but because he saved us from his wrath through Christ, and now we stand on the brink of the Grand Canyon of his holiness and justice and grace and wrath with unspeakable wonder...overcome with worship at the depth of his majesty."
Many of us do not fully grasp the danger we were in. Some of us might have encountered the painful consequences of sin on this side of eternity, but anything we might have encountered pales in comparison to what awaits on the other side of death. Jesus Christ, knowing the imminent danger we were in, acted as a human shield and intercessor. He sacrificed Himself and saved us from God's wrath.
We are expected to be in love with our God and to personally know Him, but let us not downplay His glory, majesty, power, or wrath. God might be our friend, but let us not forget our place-we still need to show Him honor and respect.
Living Life
We all must accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and the one and only Lord. Until this happens, we remain under the wrath of God. The Bible instructs us to approach God with fear and trembling, but not because He is some mighty, all-powerful Being who enjoys smiting worthless, insignificant people like us.
John Piper says, "Fear and trembling are not because God is our enemy but because he saved us from his wrath through Christ, and now we stand on the brink of the Grand Canyon of his holiness and justice and grace and wrath with unspeakable wonder...overcome with worship at the depth of his majesty."
Many of us do not fully grasp the danger we were in. Some of us might have encountered the painful consequences of sin on this side of eternity, but anything we might have encountered pales in comparison to what awaits on the other side of death. Jesus Christ, knowing the imminent danger we were in, acted as a human shield and intercessor. He sacrificed Himself and saved us from God's wrath.
We are expected to be in love with our God and to personally know Him, but let us not downplay His glory, majesty, power, or wrath. God might be our friend, but let us not forget our place-we still need to show Him honor and respect.
Living Life
God's Wrath on Families
Why is it important to honor your father and mother? Some of us have come from very healthy families. But as divorce and abuse rates climb, this is becoming less common. More and more people are coming from broken homes. So why should you honor someone who has hurt you?
You cannot change your past, nor should you dwell on your past. But it has shaped who you are today. No one, absolutely no one, has been raised in a perfect, ideal home. Every family has problems and issue. Those that overcome these issues will do so through God's grace and love. If you cannot forgive those who hurt you, you cannot be healed.
A.W. Pink writes, "Failure to honor father and mother, wherever it is found, is in large measure due to parental departure from the Scriptural pattern." Yet this is not a reason for us to blame our parents; it should encourage us to examine ourselves and the families we raise. We must be good examples for the children around us. It is the parents' role to point children, even the rebellious ones, into a relationship with God.
So pray for the children in your lives, whether they are your own children, your nieces and nephews, or children you know through your work or ministry. And Remember that God has called us to be people who are submissive, not rebellious. Honor your father and mother, and be men and women of noble character. Avoid God's wrath for disobedience: raise a healthy family
Living Life
You cannot change your past, nor should you dwell on your past. But it has shaped who you are today. No one, absolutely no one, has been raised in a perfect, ideal home. Every family has problems and issue. Those that overcome these issues will do so through God's grace and love. If you cannot forgive those who hurt you, you cannot be healed.
A.W. Pink writes, "Failure to honor father and mother, wherever it is found, is in large measure due to parental departure from the Scriptural pattern." Yet this is not a reason for us to blame our parents; it should encourage us to examine ourselves and the families we raise. We must be good examples for the children around us. It is the parents' role to point children, even the rebellious ones, into a relationship with God.
So pray for the children in your lives, whether they are your own children, your nieces and nephews, or children you know through your work or ministry. And Remember that God has called us to be people who are submissive, not rebellious. Honor your father and mother, and be men and women of noble character. Avoid God's wrath for disobedience: raise a healthy family
Living Life
The Difficulties of God's Wrath
God's wrath, as well as how and when God pronounces judgment, is not for us to debate. Many people do not like the fact that God is pronouncing judgment. However, as W.J. Grier says, "Those who reject the wrath of God often plead that their rejection is in the interests of the love of God; but actually... Christ's propitiatory sacrifice to satisfy divine justice and propitiate God's wrath is the greatest exhibition of divine love. We read in Scripture: 'Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins' (1 John 4.10)."
God's wrath is an attribute that belongs to Him, and whether we like it or not, it is something that we need to learn to accept. Many people have tried to find their way around the wrath of God, sometimes even by turning to different religions.
These, however, simply ignore the reality in which we live. Understanding God's wrath is important. It is because of our sin that we are under wrath. It is because of God's wrath that we are condemned to die, but it is because of our condemnation that God fully expressed His love for us by granting us the gift of life through the bloodshed of His Son Jesus Christ.
As Romans 6:23 states, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." This verse condenses the message of the Bible: There are consequences for all our actions. Ultimately there are only two actions we can take: reject God, or accept Him. If you reject Him, you will die. If you accept Him, you will live. This is the hard, simple truth.
Living Life
God's wrath is an attribute that belongs to Him, and whether we like it or not, it is something that we need to learn to accept. Many people have tried to find their way around the wrath of God, sometimes even by turning to different religions.
These, however, simply ignore the reality in which we live. Understanding God's wrath is important. It is because of our sin that we are under wrath. It is because of God's wrath that we are condemned to die, but it is because of our condemnation that God fully expressed His love for us by granting us the gift of life through the bloodshed of His Son Jesus Christ.
As Romans 6:23 states, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." This verse condenses the message of the Bible: There are consequences for all our actions. Ultimately there are only two actions we can take: reject God, or accept Him. If you reject Him, you will die. If you accept Him, you will live. This is the hard, simple truth.
Living Life
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