Isaiah 5:20
"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil..."
These words have been on my mind the last couple of days. So I looked them up and found them in the Old Testament book of Isaiah. As I think through these words I am overwhelmed that the message and truth found in this passage was relevant in Isaiah's time and continues to be relevant today.
Inwardly I am convicted by these words because I am capable of calling evil good when I ignore the teachings of the Bible and the leading of the Holy Spirit to act according to my own selfishness and pride. I, more than anyone, am able to justify my sin and in the process deny the power of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I am also capable of calling good evil when I become hard-hearted and critical of my fellow Christians and the church. With Jesus Christ as the head of the church, who am I to think that any part of the body of believers is evil.
Outwardly when I observe the world it is very easy to see good and evil as starkly as black is distinguished from white. Those who are in the world claim that life can be lived in the grey and that all things are acceptable as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else. How my heart should break for them! God's word is very clear that life is not grey and that we choose between good or evil; to live according to God's word fully covered in the blood of Jesus Christ or to live in opposition to God as His enemy.
Later in the passage Isaiah points out that people who reject the law will be like a plant with a rotten root system that dries up and blows away. Rejecting the truth of God's word means living outside of God's plan for a life covered in the blood of Jesus Christ. Meaning that they will experience the full punishment of God's righteous judgment.
Praise God that His mercies are new every morning and that it is always possible to begin or renew a relationship with Him. Anyone can have freedom from evil things and be able to pursue good things, and it can begin by simply trusting in God's promises found in the Bible.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Friday, August 9, 2013
something new
I think it's spiritually healthy to occasionally ask myself, "Do I feel close to God right now?" In the past I have had moments in my life when I knew my heart was pursuing Him and other times when I allowed myself to wander from His presence. I recently spent some time thinking about the current state of my faith. I went through my checklist that includes; prayer, Bible reading, church involvement, and sharing the message of Jesus. In my heart and mind I kept thinking specifically about the Bible; not only about the amount of time reading it, but I was convicted in the fact that I don't spend time studying the Scriptures like I did in college.
I used to study for hours on end to prepare Bible outlines for class, but since then I haven't put that kind of work into learning about God's word. I think it's easy for those in ministry to think that they are getting enough Bible study time as they prepare sermons and studies, but that time is in preparation to teach others about God. In being honest I know that the studies I prepared were for growing Christians and that my own learning wasn't being nurtured.
The author of the book of Hebrews talks about the differences of learning for infant versus mature Christians in chapter 5 verses 12 through 14; "In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." [NIV]
Right now in my life I know that I am need of time to chew and digest the solid food of God's word. So I have begun a series I call Chapter by Chapter that will be posted here on my blog. It will be my thoughts and meditations on each chapter of the Bible, which may or may not make sense to anyone who reads them. I am doing this in addition to my personal Bible devotion time, but this will allow me have a regular opportunity to study, for myself, the words of God.
I used to study for hours on end to prepare Bible outlines for class, but since then I haven't put that kind of work into learning about God's word. I think it's easy for those in ministry to think that they are getting enough Bible study time as they prepare sermons and studies, but that time is in preparation to teach others about God. In being honest I know that the studies I prepared were for growing Christians and that my own learning wasn't being nurtured.
The author of the book of Hebrews talks about the differences of learning for infant versus mature Christians in chapter 5 verses 12 through 14; "In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." [NIV]
Right now in my life I know that I am need of time to chew and digest the solid food of God's word. So I have begun a series I call Chapter by Chapter that will be posted here on my blog. It will be my thoughts and meditations on each chapter of the Bible, which may or may not make sense to anyone who reads them. I am doing this in addition to my personal Bible devotion time, but this will allow me have a regular opportunity to study, for myself, the words of God.
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