Author: Mandy Farmer

Worship VII Day 13 One Day

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Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Corinthians 4:1-5
Romans 5:6-11
John 3:16-21
Revelation 22:6-20

Worship VII, Day 13

What a difference a day makes!

I remember the day I came face to face with the knowledge that I was hopelessly lost. Old Slew foot, the devil, had blinded my eyes to the light of Life found only in Jesus. He said, “You’re a good girl. You have nothing to worry about.” Even though my parents, and their parents, and their parents before them were all Christians,
I was still lost in the darkness of my sin.

The old evangelist preached hard that night. Was it his warning of hell and damnation or the fact that my grandfather had recently passed that got my attention? Maybe both. The Spirit of God was opening the eyes of my heart, and I was brought into His Light that day. I recognized I needed a Savior so, at an old-fashioned camp meeting, I walked the aisle and gave my heart and life to the Lord.
Oh, what a day when I came into the Light!

At the turn of the 20th century, another great evangelist, J. Wilbur Chapman, was also intently determined to preach the Gospel. Chapman served several pastorates before going into the evangelistic circuit. He preached with the legendary D. L. Moody at the 1893 World’s Fair before traveling with gospel singer, Charles Alexander. Their first campaign in Philadelphia saw 8,000 conversions followed by Boston and 7,000 recorded conversions. Chapman and Alexander continued having tent revivals all around the world for the next 10 years until his death in 1918. [Wholesomeword.org]

While Chapman will be forever known as a great evangelist, he also blessed the Church with many hymns like “Our Great Savior (Jesus, What a Friend of Sinners)”.  Perhaps he “gave the Christian world the greatest gospel content song of all time when he penned the words for “One Day.” [Truthful Words Biographies]

“One day when Heaven was filled with His praises.
One day when sin was a black as can be.
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin,
Dwelt among men, my example is He.”

It was indeed a dark day when sin began running rampant and men turned from the living God to please themselves. Ever since that day in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3), men and women have been impossibly lost in sin with no hope to save themselves. Until that one day when, at just the right time, God sent His angels to proclaim the miraculous, Jesus had come from Heaven to earth! (Luke 2:8-12) He came to the sinful and impossibly lost, born of a virgin to live fully as a man experiencing everything we experience, yet, living a sinless life because He was and is God Almighty. (1 Peter 2:20-25)

“Living He Loved me.”

How much God loves us! We are familiar with John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His One and only Son…” But, even better, the darkness of our sin is chased away by His glorious light! (John 3:16-21)

Not only does He love us, but He came to provide our forgiveness before we even considered asking for it or being remorseful. (Romans 5:6-11) He loved, and forgave, while we were still deep in our sin.

“Dying He Saved me. Buried, He carried my sins far away.”

Yes, one day they arrested Jesus and falsely accused Him. That day, He took on our sin to pay our debt of punishment for that sin on a cruel cross.  He carried our sin upon Himself so it would no longer rule our lives. In Jesus, our sin has been removed “as far as the East is from the West.” (Psalm 103:12)

Our debt of sin has been erased! Gone! Forever Gone! Praise the Lord!
“He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations,
that was against us and opposed to us,
and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.”
(Colossians 2:14)

“Rising, He justified freely forever”

Even greater than taking on the punishment of death we deserved, after three days in the grave, He rose again, breaking the power of sin and death. On that day, He freed us forever from the slavery of sin. In Jesus, we can be both saved from our sin’s punishment and justified before a Righteous God! Jesus moves our status from “hopelessly sinful” to “just as if I’d never sinned!”. This doesn’t come automatically because we’re alive, faith is required. (Hebrews 11:6) Faith that places our full-weight trust in Jesus Christ and His work on the cross to pay for our sin. Do we believe what the Bible says about Jesus? If we accept His offer of salvation in genuine faith, we will live forever with Him in Heaven one day.

“It will be credited to us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” (Romans 4:23-25)

“One day He’s coming, Oh Glorious day!”

Ah! Yes! One day! One day He is coming again for us!
When Christ ascended into Heaven, the angel come down with a promise that ONE DAY, He would return just as He had left in the clouds. (Acts 1:6-11) It will be a glorious day when he comes and sets up His kingdom.

And who can enter in?
“Those who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
(Revelation 7:14)

I am ready for that Glorious day!
Are you?
Have you repented of your sin and asked to be free from the slavery of sin and its punishment of death? Make today your own “One Day” that changes everything!
What a difference a day makes!

“Both the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let anyone who hears, say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come. Let the one who desires take the water of life freely.”
(Revelation 22:17)

Author’s Note:
Though this hymn is over 100 years old, listen in to Casting Crowns for a remade version!

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Ten Day 13 What Is Truth?

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Colossians 3:1-17
Exodus 20:16
John 14:6-11
John 8:39-47
2 Corinthians 4:1-6
John 18: 28-38

Ten, Day 13

“What is Truth?” 

Mankind has grappled with the definition of truth throughout the ages. Hours before His death, Pilate posed this question to Jesus. But Pilate’s query was rhetorical, meant to dismiss the subject. He was only interested in the truth of Rome, Caesar, and political power (Morris).

Even today, the struggle to define and understand truth persists. Many people want to believe in a truth of their own, based on perspective or personal preference. But Scripture teaches God alone is our source of absolute, unchanging, timeless, big “T” Truth.

We read throughout Scripture that God cannot lie (Numbers 23:19, Titus 1:1-2). Furthermore, God declared His character to Moses on Mount Sinai:

“the Lord is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth.” (Exodus 34:6, emphasis mine)

Brad Bright, son of the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, comments, “He is present everywhere, knows all things, and totally understands what is real, right, and true. Therefore, whatever He says is absolutely true.”

As our source of all truth, God is the basis for everything in our lives.
God gave us the Bible to help us understand truth.
He guides us into truth through the Holy Spirit.
God revealed truth to us in the person of Jesus who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life“. (John 14:6)
Jesus, the Son of God, IS Truth. (Guzik, Enduring Word)

In stark opposition, Satan is the Father of Lies (John 8:44). Satan spewed out the very first lie in the Garden when he assured Eve she would not die if she disobeyed God.
(Genesis 3) He has been denying, resisting, twisting, stretching, and confusing the truth ever since. In her book, Lies Women Believe and the Truth That Sets Them Free, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth encourages us “to wake up to the deception that is so pervasive. So much of our lifestyle is rooted in ways of thinking that simply are not true. The result is a house built on sinking sand.”

Satan loves to take the Holy Scriptures and twist them, just a bit, to confuse us. If he can convince us just one part of the Bible is not true, he has his foot in the door. Soon, we question everything God has said to us.

With this knowledge of God as the source of truth and Satan as the source of lies, we can easily see why it was necessary to include the ninth commandment in the Law:

“Do not give false testimony against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16)

One commentary explains, “to bear false witness against others is to lie about them, especially for personal gain. God’s people were not to lie publicly, as in a court of law by laying at another’s feet any false charge that could injure him, nor were they to lie privately by whispering, tale-bearing, backbiting, slandering, or destroying his character by innuendos, sly insinuations, and evil suggestions.”

The commandments reveal God’s righteous character to us, and establish a way for us to reflect His righteous character to the world. When we embrace His exhortation to “be holy, because I am holy,” we reflect the One True God to those around us. (1 Peter 1:15-17)

By the same token, the commandments serve as a mirror for us. They reflect how
utterly lost we are and how much we need a Savior. If we judge our lives against the
Ten Commandments, we fail completely.
Without Christ, we can do nothing;
but through Christ, we are justified.
Our forgiven and transformed lives point to Christ, so others will see Him through us. (2 Corinthians 4:1-6)

Thank God for His gift of the Holy Spirit to guide and direct our lives! He reveals to us the deception of the Evil One and guides us into truth. (John 16:13) Indeed, “His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness”. (2 Peter 1:3-4)

As you examine your life with the mirror of truth today, what reflection do you see?

In a society of relativism and the idea that “anything goes,” have we been tricked by Satan’s lies? Do our actions demonstrate our knowledge of the truth? Are we delving into God’s Word daily to walk in the light of His Truth? The truth will only be found by those who diligently and honestly seek it. Let us commit ourselves to seek Him and walk in the light of His truth.

“Teach me your way, Lord, and I will live by your truth!” (Psalm 86:11)

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Blessed Day 15 Celebrate In Persecution

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Read His Words Before Ours!

John 15:18-19
Acts 4:29-31
2 Corinthians 4:7-18
Philippians 1:12-14
Romans 5:3-5

Blessed, Day 15

In the 1950s, a young missionary pilot had a passion for the Huaorani tribe in Ecuador. This tribe was suspicious of, and known to kill, all outsiders. But Jim Elliot felt called to reach them and share the Gospel. Step by step, he made inroads to reach the tribe.

Finally, he and his team built a camp not far from the Huaorani people. They made contact and even took one of the tribespeople for a plane ride. Later, a larger group of tribesmen came to the base expressing interest in the plane, instead, they turned and killed all five missionary men.

Jim’s wife, Elizabeth, and the other widows continued the work to reach the Huaorani people, despite the great danger they faced. She persisted in the belief that, as her husband was often quoted to say,

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep
to gain that which he cannot lose.”

Eventually, the women reached the entire Huaorani tribe for Christ, including those who had killed Jim and the others.

The Elliots experienced what Jesus promised would be true for all believers in this world, we will be hated and even killed (John 15:18-19, Matthew 10:22). The world rejected Jesus and attempted to end His work; we are to expect the same. So rather than being surprised and caught off-guard when we face persecution, let’s prepare ourselves so we can endure to the end.

The apostles certainly experienced persecution! But they persevered to spread the Good News. They prayed for each other, not to be removed from trouble, but to seek boldness to continue speaking the Word of God and performing miracles. As they prayed for endurance, “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God boldly.” (Acts 4:31)

In my own life, there have been many trials and tribulations, and my ministry team has encountered persecution. But this opposition has drawn us even closer to God! We were made stronger in our faith and able to encourage others. Looking to Jesus kept us from becoming distressed and gave us boldness in ministry.

This boldness in kingdom work comes from equipping ourselves with the armor of God. Each piece of armor, fueled by the Spirit of God, adds strength and courage to our fight. As we don our armor daily, we are prepared for battle.

Paul wrote of his many trials in his epistles:

“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; we are persecuted, but not abandoned; we are struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be displayed in our bodies.”
(2 Corinthians 4:8-10)

Rather than complaining about his poor treatment, Paul praised God in his suffering because it advanced the Gospel. (Philippians 1:12-14)

Yes! Because he was sent to prison, he testified not only to prison guards, but to the great leaders of the day. He would not have been allowed in their presence except to stand trial. In presenting his defense, he shared the Gospel with judges and counsels and great men, such as King Agrippa (Acts 26:1-32); Paul was even prepared to testify before Nero, who was Caesar at the time (Acts 27:4).

Paul, and other saints of old, surely experienced fear as they faced persecution and declared the Gospel to hostile leaders. Similarly, we are still human and may become fearful when confronted with opposition to the Good News. But, just as the prayers of fellow believers gave Paul courage to boldly speak the Word of God, we too can be strengthened and encouraged through prayer (Philipians 4:6-7).

We can even rejoice, not only because the Gospel is being spread, but also because of the transformation within our own spirits. As Paul explains,

 “We also rejoice in our afflictions,
because we know that affliction produces endurance,
endurance produces proven character,
and proven character produces hope.
This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:3-5)

Paul’s words encourage us even today! We can rejoice because our suffering produces character and hope within us. Hallelujah! God’s love is poured out into our hearts and we are able to share His Gospel Story.

Finally, the Bible promises reward to those who persevere through trials: the crown of life!

“Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12)

Therefore, sisters, let’s endure persecution covered in the armor of God and shrouded in prayer; let’s rejoice in our suffering, ever keeping our eyes fixed on the promises of God to further the kingdom, transform our character, and bless us with the crown of life!

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Blessed Day 4 Blessed Are Those Who Mourn: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Blessed Are Those Who Mourn!

The Questions

1) What events caused King David to mourn so deeply before the Lord?

2) Matthew 5:4 says, “Blessed are those who mourn…” What blessing was David praying for?

3) How did God comfort David?

Psalm 51:6-13

Surely you desire integrity in the inner self,
and you teach me wisdom deep within.
7 Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Turn your face away from my sins
and blot out all my guilt.

10 God, create a clean heart for me
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not banish me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore the joy of your salvation to me,
and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach the rebellious your ways,
and sinners will return to you.

Original Intent

1) What events caused King David to mourn so deeply before the Lord?
The prophet Nathan came to David one day telling him a story of two men: One poor, the other rich. The rich man had many sheep, but the poor man had only one lamb. The lamb was dear to the family and loved like a pet. One day, the rich man had a visitor and he needed to serve him dinner. But rather than slaughtering one of his own sheep, he took the poor man’s sheep and served it to his guest. When King David heard this story, he was furious. Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!’” (2 Samuel 12:7-9) The whole sordid story can be found in 2 Samuel 11-12. When Nathan confronted David with his sin, David was immediately mournful and confessed his sin before God. David wasn’t repentant because he had been caught in his sin, but he realized he had sinned against God. His fellowship with God had been severed; this is what caused his great mourning.

2) Matthew 5:4 says, “Blessed are those who mourn…” What blessing was David praying for?
David’s sin was crushing his soul during this time. He must have been relieved to be found out and his sin exposed because this is when healing of our hearts can begin. In the many months between the time when David committed these sins and his confession, he had not escaped the sense of sin, it was always before him. (verse 3) He could not escape his sinfulness. He was miserable in his sin, as a child of God should be. (Guzik) When Nathan confronted him, he became very aware of the heaviness of heart that had been there all along. He knew his body ached to have that fellowship once again with the Father. In Psalm 32:3-4, David writes, “When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was drained as in the summer’s heat.” David desired to be cleansed from his sin and his sin blotted out. He wanted to be able to rejoice in the Lord once again. (Psalm 51:7-9). Again, we see in Psalm 32, he wrote of how good it is to be forgiven. “How joyful is the one whose transgression is forgiven; whose sin is covered! How joyful is a person whom the Lord does not charge with iniquity and in whose spirit is no deceit!”

3) How did God comfort David?
God comforted David foremost by returning His Spirit to David. His spirit was made right with God giving him the fellowship he desired once again. Though his son would die, God did not take Bathsheba away from him; indeed, their second son, Solomon, became the next king of Israel and God allowed Solomon the privilege of building the temple. God kept his promise to keep David’s family in the throne of Israel. David had a third son with Bathsheba, Nathan, who is the son in which the line of David (through Mary) would bring Jesus into the World. (Luke 3:23-38) What a comfort to have a new spirit, David was once again willing to serve God as He prescribed. David was again able to teach others about the joy of salvation and to sing of His righteousness and declare God’s praise. And ultimately, draw others to God.

Everyday Application

1) What events caused King David to mourn so deeply before the Lord?
The prophet Nathan came to David and confronted him about his sin. And David mourned. While we may have leaders or friends we are accountable to, more deeply, we have the Holy Spirit living within every believer, guiding our actions and convicting us of sin. If we are in tune with the Spirit, we mourn when we realize we have allowed sin to creep into our lives. The Apostle Paul mourned at his inability to please God. He wrote how we all know what is right, but we don’t do it. (Romans 7:14-25) Just as David cried out in Psalm 51, so did Paul cry out his mournful repentance. We also struggle with our carnal nature in keeping God’s law. C.S. Lewis said, “No man knows how bad he is until he has tried to be good.” (Enduring Word, Romans 7) But Praise God! “His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3) After we are saved, the Holy Spirit dwells in us, guides us, and convicts us of sin. We could not follow Jesus without His power. However, we cannot experience His power without totally yielding to Him. From the moment of spiritual birth, the Holy Spirit indwells, or resides in, every Christian. But to be controlled by the Holy Spirit, we must, as an act of our wills, completely surrender our lives in obedience to Christ. (Vonette Bright, CRU, Campus Crusade for Christ)

2) Matthew 5:4 says, “Blessed are those who mourn…” What blessing was David praying for?
The Apostle Paul shares with us in Romans 5:1-5 some of the blessings of our salvation.
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God… But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness, resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:20-21 There is no greater blessing than the joy found in forgiveness. Bill Gaither wrote, “Oh the joy that floods my soul!” A new song bubbles up with joy in our heart when we are forgiven and cleansed forever. And the Victory! He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood! (Bartlett). What a treasure we have in this wonderful peace… For I’m kept from all danger by night and by day, And His glory is flooding my soul!” (Cornel) What a blessing to be found in Christ. Have you found the joy of salvation? Have you mourned over your sin and repented to God?

3) God comforted David. How does God comfort us?
The Holy Spirit is our Comforter. When we sin against God and hurt others, it is as if we can’t breathe. I remember times when I have hurt others, I was afraid to go to them and confess. I feared their rejection and possible retaliation. But once I confessed and received that forgiveness, I could breathe again. My fear disappeared; my heart was comforted in the restoration of fellowship and a wonderful peace overtook my spirit. While believers never need to fear that the Holy Spirit will be removed from us, He is our permanent seal, our fellowship with God through the Spirit can be estranged and broken by our sin.
Yesterday, in her Journey Study, Lori said, “on the other side of mourning are abundant blessings.” Revelation 21:4 reminds us, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more.”  Our vision is clouded by the sin we allow to persist by not fully addressing it or trying to excuse it. But if we are faithful to humble ourselves (I mean true, honest to goodness, on-our-knees-humbling ourselves) before God, then He is faithful to wipe away our tears and forgive our sin (1 John 1:9).  What a comfort to be completely forgiven and filled with His Spirit. And what an even greater comfort on the day when He wipes away every tear from our eyes forever!

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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Questions Day 14 Is God Loving Or Angry?: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Is God Loving Or Angry?!

The Questions

1) Who wrote this epistle, to whom, and why?

2) What is the difference between the wrath of God and the anger of man?

3) How can “invisible attributes” be seen? How does this make us without excuse? (verse 20)

Romans 1:18-32

For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse. For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.

Therefore, God delivered them over in the desires of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served what has been created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen.

For this reason, God delivered them over to disgraceful passions. Their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. The men in the same way also left natural relations with women and were inflamed in their lust for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the appropriate penalty of their error.

And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a corrupt mind so that they do what is not right. They are filled with all unrighteousness, evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, senseless, untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful. Although they know God’s just sentence—that those who practice such things deserve to die—they not only do them, but even applaud others who practice them.

Original Intent

1) Who wrote this epistle, to whom and why?
It is universally accepted that the Apostle Paul wrote this epistle to the Romans on his third missionary journey as described in Acts 20:2-3. It was likely written somewhere between 53 to 58 A.D. This was during the reign of the infamous Nero who ruthlessly persecuted Christians and eventually had Paul put to death.  Paul was journeying to Jerusalem, but the Holy Spirit warned him of the awaiting peril on his life in Jerusalem. Possibly, he wondered if he would ever get to Rome and thought it necessary to write this letter. Different from other letters to the churches, which focused on church problems, this epistle seems to focus more on the attributes of God and His plan of redemption. Perhaps, in his realization that he may not ever be with them, Paul desired to write them about their need for salvation and that God had provided a Savior. It was a treasured letter and probably distributed to many of the early churches. [Guzik, Enduring Word]

2) What is the difference between God’s wrath and man’s anger?
Man’s wrath most often comes from being wronged or misunderstood. It is usually motivated by selfishness and focuses on punishing, hurting, or destroying people while perpetuating, or justifying, their own sin and selfishness. God’s Word says, “…the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God”. (James 1:19-20) Notice the connection between understanding and anger found in Proverbs 17:27, “Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.” The wrath of God is a righteous anger. It is “revealed from heaven” (verse 18). God is holy, righteous, and He cannot be in the presence of sin and evil. He is angered at the evil ways man has chosen to follow while He upholds all that is right and just. He is angered because He loves His people deeply, but sin has separated Him from mankind. (Isaiah 59:2) Under the law of the Old Testament, man could not live a righteous life because they would always fail to perfectly keep the whole law. The law reminded them daily of their sin. They felt the guilt and the wrath of God every time they broke the law. Every year they would return to the temple with sacrifices to atone for their sin as they asked God to forgive them. But it didn’t stick because the blood of animals can never atone for sin completely, only a perfect sacrifice could do that. (Hebrews 10:4) Sin and its guilt always returned. (Hebrews 10:2-4) But under grace in the New Testament, there is forgiveness once and for all because Christ, as the perfect sacrifice, gave Himself for us. (Hebrews 9:26) There is no condemnation for our sins when we are in Christ! (Romans 8:1-4) Christ, the High Priest, has opened the way for us to be completely forgiven, once and for all. (Hebrews 10:10-14) Because of this covenant of Grace, God’s love seems more prominent than His Righteous anger.

3) How can “invisible attributes be seen”? How does this make all of us “without excuse”? (verse 20)
Mankind would suppress all truth about God and ignore the consequences of sin because our very nature is a slave to sin. Rather than focus on all His wonderful attributes, man wants to focus on God’s wrath and point to a terrible God. The God of the Bible, however, is not some angry character sitting on a mountain waiting to throw darts at sinners. God’s creation displays His attributes. (Psalm 8) While they were given instructions on how to live, no one had to tell Adam and Eve they were guilty. God asked them, “Who told you that you were naked?” (Genesis 3:11) When they came into the presence of the Most Holy God, they were keenly aware of their sin and its immediate affect to separate them in relationship to Him. What, then was God’s response? He lovingly made clothing for them and removed them from the Garden of Eden so they would not have to live in their sin forever. (Genesis 3:20-24) The psalmist, David, often used the attributes of God as a means of praise to Him (Psalm 103, Psalm 136) and as he repented from sin. (Psalm 51) God displays many of His attributes in His work of creation. As we observe His character by looking at creation we stand in awe of His glory and holiness while gaining an acute awareness of our own fallen sinfulness.

Everyday Application

1) Who wrote this epistle, to whom, and why?
Paul, through the Holy Spirit, was inspired to write to the Romans about the path to salvation. We must first become aware of our sin, which leads us to our need for a Savior who saves us from the wrath of God that we so rightly deserve. The letter of Romans has become for many, a turning point in their spiritual life. Many of the great preachers throughout history stated that Romans, through the power of the Holy Spirit, changed their life completely. When you read the writings of these great men of faith [Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wesley and many more] they state they found a deeper faith right here in Romans. Martin Luther praised Romans with these words, “It is the chief part of the New Testament and the perfect gospel… the absolute epitome of the gospel.” [David Guzik, Enduring Word] And truly it is! To this day, we use Romans most often to share the gospel. It would be wise to memorize these verses so you are ready and able to present salvation clearly as Paul outlined in his letter. (Romans 3:10-12; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23; Romans 5:8; Romans 10:9-13)

2) What is the difference between God’s wrath and man’s anger?
Theologian, Andrew Murray says, “God’s wrath is the holy revulsion of God’s Being against that which is the contradiction of His Holiness”. We see the anger of mankind every day in the headlines and in our homes. Our society itself is negative and angry. We, ourselves, might say our anger is a righteous anger as we attempt to justify it, but is it really? Have we looked deeply into our motives and the reasons we are angry? Are we angry because of sin, or are we angry because we aren’t getting our own way? God made us in His image. He gave us all of His attributes, including anger, but sin distorts God’s image. Our sin becomes a selfish emotion leading us into more sin as we try to justify our own actions. However, when we allow Him to control every aspect of our lives. He can indeed teach us to control our emotions through His Spirit and make them righteous as He is, even in our anger. We know this is possible because He instructs us about anger in His Word. (Ephesians 4:26-27) (James 1:19-20) Let’s all search our hearts and be sure that we have given even our anger over to the Holy Spirit’s control.

3) How can “invisible attributes be seen” How does this make all of us “without excuse”? (verse 20)
All of God’s creation speaks of His love and mercy for us. Just in experiencing His creation we can know God exists. All His attributes become visible. The great theologian, Jonathan Edwards, made a practice of looking at everything in creation with wonder. He began to see God in the birth of a baby, the marriage of a couple, or the growth of a tree. It all pointed to God and caused Edwards’ love of God to grow greater and stronger. [Desiring God] If we look at God, and all His attributes together as one, we will find everything works together and is held together by Him. (Colossians 1:16-17) We see and understand how His love and mercy mesh together with His righteousness and holiness making His anger soften in our eyes. Ah, yes, note I said “understand” which was mentioned earlier in defining righteous anger. Ann Voskamp encourages us to keep a running gratitude list. She found that joy comes from gratitude, not the other way around. It really is true when we look at all the good blessings of God, we find Him to be an amazing and wonderful Creator. If you haven’t started a gratitude list, maybe it’s time to start!

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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Treasure Day 11 Treasure In The Mirror

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Deuteronomy 26:16-19
1 Peter 5:1-11
Ephesians 2:1-10
James 4:1-10
Hebrews 12:1-13

Treasure, Day 11

We are God’s most treasured possession.

We are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God Himself. And yet, we find ourselves struggling to believe this truth.

The enemy whispers “unworthy” in our ears. He tells us we are no good and pulls us down into the depths of depression.

It’s a fight, my friend. Satan goes about the earth like a lion seeking whom he can devour. We must resist him with all our strength.

He uses any tool he can find to defeat us.
It could be society telling us we are worthless,
our bathroom mirrors,
or what we read or watch (like social media).

It’s a spiritual battle and must be fought daily, hourly, or even by the minute.

This fight is nothing new. The Bible is full of men and women wrestling to discover their true worth.

Moses fought when God called him to rescue the Israelites from Egypt (Exodus 3:7-4:13). He told God he just couldn’t do obey because he was too flawed.

Oh, the excuses!
His failures of his murderous past.
His faltering speech and slow tongue.

Been there, sister?

God can’t possibly mean me.
My past can’t be overcome.
My failures define me.
My flaws are too big and too public.

Truth?
God can use anyone.
Together with his brother, Aaron, and empowered by God Himself, Moses confronted Pharaoh and eventually led the Israelites to their freedom.

Even our spiritual leaders might tell us we aren’t good enough, or overlook us because others are better looking, or smarter, or________ (fill in the blank). For example, when the prophet Samuel was tasked with anointing a new king, he looked at a family of strong and ruddy men and assumed one of them would be the obvious choice.

Yet, God highlighted a shepherd boy, the most unlikely of candidates, reminding Samuel people look at outward appearance, but He sees our hearts. (1 Samuel 16:1-13)

In the New Testament, we meet Timothy, who was also disparaged because of his appearance, specifically because he was young. The Apostle Paul encouraged Timothy not to be deterred, or discouraged, by society claiming he was too young to lead and teach.

Like a father, Paul urged Timothy to be an example to all believers through his speech, lifestyle, and godly love for others. He encouraged Timothy to stay strong in his faith and steadfast in his purity (1 Timothy 4:12-16), so God’s character would be made evident within Timothy.

Similarly, God calls each of us, setting us apart with a purpose, to mirror His glory by reflecting His attributes to those around us.

Mirrors.
For many years, I lived in a virtual house of mirrors.
These carnival-style mirrors distorted the truth,
leaving me trapped in a maze of lies.

I struggled to grasp the treasure God had placed within me through His own Holy Spirit when He freed me from sin, shame, and chains of condemnation. Though God had gifted me with many talents and was growing His character in me, I could only see my weakness and incapability.

I did all the negative self-talk, embracing and repeating Satan’s lies to myself instead of the beautiful truths Christ had died to wrap around me like a royal robe. The evil one tries to beat us down and destroy us. He wants to keep our eyes turned away from our gifts and abilities and onto our weaknesses.

But God works through our weaknesses
to make us strong
and bring glory to Him.

So how do we fight the good fight? How do we defeat the enemy Satan, who is constantly whispering in our ears that we are no good?

We follow Paul’s instruction to Timothy.
We train ourselves for the fight.
We focus on reading the Scriptures,
and on stewarding the gifts God HAS INDEED given us.
We put on the full armor of God as defense against enemy attacks.

Begin listening to what God says about you. When negative thoughts come, and they will, resist them, rather than dwelling on them.

Look to the Lord (your wonderful and perfect mirror).
Let His likeness shine on you (Psalm 105:4-11).
Think on whatever is true, honorable, right, pure and lovely, and admirable.
Think on His words, which are excellent and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8-9).

Make a list of Scriptures that remind you of your righteousness in Jesus Christ,
which He purchased for you when He shed His blood and paid for your sin.
Write them out with your name inserted in them.
Stick them wherever you will see them every day.
On your bathroom mirror. Your fridge. In your pocket.
Set them as reminders on your phone.

Recite these Scriptures over and over, especially when the enemy attacks. You’ve got this, friend. You can renew your mind just as God has transformed your heart!

 Here’s a short profession to help you get started:
I look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith. He created me in His perfect image. I am His masterpiece. I am fearfully and wonderfully made, His treasured possession.

Even before I was born, He knew me. He died on the cross and rose again to redeem my life. I will seek His face and His strength, always. I will live as a daughter of the King.
Daughter of the King. Wow!
If you aren’t 100% sure you are a true Daughter of the King, having been washed and forgiven and freed from all those chains of condemnation, will you please reach out to someone who knows and lives that truth deeply? Email the Sisters at Gracefully Truthful or drop a comment here. Choosing to become the King’s Daughter is the single most important decision you will ever make; it will last for eternity!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Treasure Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Treasure!