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Sin

Worship X Day 14 Let Them Praise: Digging Deeper

May 26, 2022 by Marietta Taylor Leave a Comment

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 Let Them Praise!

The Questions

1) What are the sacrifices we are to offer? (verse 16)

2) Why does verse 17 command us to obey our leaders?

3) How does prayer tie into praise? (verse 18)

Hebrews 13:15-19

15 Therefore, through him let us continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. 16 Don’t neglect to do what is good and to share, for God is pleased with such sacrifices. 17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, since they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account, so that they can do this with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. 18 Pray for us, for we are convinced that we have a clear conscience, wanting to conduct ourselves honorably in everything. 19 And I urge you all the more to pray that I may be restored to you very soon.

Original Intent

1) What are the sacrifices we are to offer? (verse 16)
In the Old Testament there are five categories of sacrifices: burnt, grain, peace, sin and trespass offerings. Sin and Trespass offerings were required, and the remaining three were freewill. (Leviticus 4, Leviticus 7:1-6) All the offerings except grain involved the shedding of the animal’s blood. The Hebrew-Christians Paul was writing to were living in an area with Jews who did not believe Jesus was the Messiah. “The Jews were constantly reminding these Hebrew-Christians of the virtues of Judaism” (Clear Theology), which included Old Testament sacrifices which the Jews still actively practiced at the altar. In Hebrews 13:10-12, Paul reminds the people of Jesus shedding His own blood as the ultimate sacrifice, supplanting the Old Testament sacrifice system. However, this didn’t mean there were no longer any sacrifices to be made. Now, instead of sin and trespass sacrifices, the people were to offer sacrifices of praise. Instead of the fruit of their labors (crops and livestock), they were to offer the fruit of their lips. This meant verbal praise. Martin Collins points out how this echoes the priestly duties, “It was the continual responsibility of the Levitical priesthood “to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord, and likewise at evening“. (I Chronicles 23:30) Even David “praised God seven times each day”. (Psalm 119:164) The principle is that we should be praising God continually or be prepared to do so at any time, not a specific number of times a day.” (Bible Tools) Beyond verbal praise, we are also to “do good and share”. (verse 16) According to Dr. Grant Richison, “Belief and deed are inseparable. Lip service without expression in a tangible way is disjoint of biblical truth.” Praise should intentionally encompass verbally acknowledging God’s goodness and then demonstrating that goodness to others.

2) Why does verse 17 command us to obey our leaders?
Paul pointed out that Hebrew-Christians not only had a responsibility to praise the Lord, do good and share, but they also had a responsibility to submit to their spiritual leaders. Those who were appointed by God were there to lead and guide them as God instructed them. Romans 13:1 tells us “there is no authority except that which God has established.” These leaders were there to teach submission to God and to show how to live a life pleasing to the Lord. David Guzik puts it this way, “Cooperative conduct is not only a joy to leaders, but it is profitable for the whole body. It is for our own sake that we should obey and submit to God-appointed leaders.” Going further, Bible.org says, “The reason we submit is for the Lord’s sake that we may honor Him and also to avoid being disciplined by Him. Paul said this in Romans 13:2, ‘Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.’” Submitting to leaders is an act of worship to the Lord. We are acknowledging His sovereignty in appointing leaders and in teaching us through them.

3) How does prayer tie into praise? (verse 18)
Verses 18-19 might appear to veer of course, but they are in line with Paul’s teaching about praise. When we pray we are bringing our petitions and concerns to the Lord. We are acknowledging Him as the One who can change the situation, give the answer, or provide comfort and peace. He is the One in control and only He can bring about what we cannot. Paul was well aware of the power of prayer. In 2 Corinthians 11 he spoke of his numerous trials in ministry including being whipped, stoned, shipwrecked, persecuted and imprisoned. In prison, Paul prayed and God moved mightily, ultimately adding the jailer and his relatives to God’s family. (Acts 16:25-31) For the churches, Paul prayed and they flourished and grew. Every time, Paul praised the Lord. He was not shy to ask for prayer. Just as he did here, he did also in Romans 1:9-11, Ephesians 6:19, and 2 Thessalonians 3:1 to name a few. This was part of His praise, indicating that He trusted God with the ministry that had been bestowed upon him. We see it is the people’s duty to pray for him, “…to the absent leader the duty of the congregation is that of prayer. It is a Christian duty always to bear our absent loved ones to the throne of God’s grace and daily to remember there all who bear the responsibility of leadership and authority.” (Barclay’s Study Bible) Prayer for others is part of the “doing good” mandate of praise.

Everyday Application

1) What are the sacrifices we are to offer? (verse 16)
I often wonder how the priests dealt with the overwhelming stench of so much blood from the sacrifices. Then I’m reminded of the overwhelming stench of sin to God for those who are not saved. I am grateful for the blood of Jesus which cleanses us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) 2 Corinthians 2:15 says, “For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” How can we not praise the name of the One who makes us a pleasing aroma instead of the stench of sin? And to those who are perishing, do we not have a duty to sacrifice our pride and preferences to give them the opportunity to join our chorus of praise? We do, but the struggle is real. “For some, the harder part is taking Christianity one step further, sacrificing ourselves in service, fellowship, and communication with others, especially those outside our “community,” be it a group designated by age, experience, likes or dislikes, location, or any other boundary that applies to us personally.” (Bible Tools) Let us not forget Matthew 5:16, where Jesus instructs, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” Our good works become praise not just from us but others. Our good works multiply praise! So whatever we must sacrifice to complete those works is worth it.

2) Why does verse 17 command us to obey our leaders?
I’m a manager at my job. To some it might seem like an easy job, but they’d be dead wrong! It’s tough. I’m also a ministry leader. That’s not a cake walk either. There are so many facets of leadership but one aspect that quickly becomes challenging is trying to do the right thing and make sure everyone under your care is also doing the right thing. So, what happens when people decide to disobey? I like the way the ESV Reformation Study Bible puts it. “The leaders’ care is deep and genuine because they were appointed by God and will give their account to Him. (Hebrews 4:13) Everyone will suffer if their ministry is resisted.” It’s our duty to respect those God puts in authority over us. By resisting them, we are resisting God’s plans. There is always a consequence for this! Instead, by walking in obedience, we allow God to complete His work in us through them. Not only are we blessed, but the leaders are as well. It becomes one more thing for which we can praise God.

3) How does prayer tie into praise? (verse 18)
Paul often prayed for the churches to which he had a connection. One example is in Colossians 1 where he starts with praise, “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you.” (verse 3) Then he lists what he is praying for, “We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding”. (verse 9) But he continues to give more praise, “giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light.” (verse 12) This is a wonderful model for prayer. Praising God, presenting our requests, followed by praising Him again. It keeps our minds focused on Who will accomplish the work, and it’s not us! It always has been God and it will always be God. “Praise is about having faith in the character of God even when we are struggling with challenges in life. It is when we CHOOSE to focus on and believe in Him that our faith is exercised, and it is faith alone that pleases Him and moves Him to action in our lives—personally and corporately!” (Planetshakers Creative) Our prayers demonstrate our faith in God, just as our praises; they both honor Him for who He is and what He does.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Let Them Praise!

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!

Digging Deeper Community

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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 :-))

Memorize It!

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Posted in: God, Love, Peace, Praise, Sacrifice, Sin Tagged: God, love, peace, praise, sacrifice, Sin

The GT Weekend! ~ Eden Week 3

May 7, 2022 by Marietta Taylor Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) As a parent, I am quite used to the blame game. “She did it. No, she did it!” Or the variations complete with excuses like, she made me mad, it was an accident, or I don’t know why, I just did it. On Monday, Lori walked us through all the excuses and blame-shifting used in the Garden of Eden, all without once admitting to their sin! This is not what I ever wanted as a parent and neither did God. What He wanted, and still wants, is for us to own our sin and confess it, like David did in Psalm 51. Why? Because this is the pathway to forgiveness and a restored relationship with God. Thankfully, Jesus has given us an opportunity, by His sacrifice, for a perfect relationship with God in heaven. Write out a prayer of confession modeled after Psalm 51. Read Eden’s Sacrifice and then write out a prayer of praise and thanksgiving for the redemption Jesus purchased.

2) Sometimes when we study the Bible, it’s just as important to consider what it doesn’t say. Being curious about what isn’t written can sharpen our understanding of what God does say in His Word! This is true about Adam and Eve, the Garden scene, and the two trees set before them by God. Both the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life were beautiful and luscious, but Adam and Eve were drawn to more knowledge instead of more life. Because of Satan’s temptation, they believed God was holding out on them; they believed He was stingy. While they could have sought life, they lusted after more of everything else when they already had rich abundance with the Lord. In similar fashion, the Lord told His people, Israel, “See, today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and adversity. For I am commanding you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways…”. (Deuteronomy 30:15-16) We choose life by choosing a relationship with God, Adam and Eve already were literally walking with God in the Garden, but they were lured away, chose sin, then sin marred everything else from then on. Pray for the Lord to give you eyes to see where He is inviting you to walk with Him. Hint: it’s all the time! When we do, peace is abundant and delight is full!

3) I’m good at solving mysteries, but once in a while, I run across a book that is written so expertly, even my best guesses are dead wrong. Our final study in Journey Into Eden shows us how the Bible is one of those books where you would never guess the ending. Where the first story in Genesis, the Garden of Eden, ends with a curse, the last book, Revelation, ends by highlighting the cure for sin and victory over death and Satan. The blood of Jesus is the cure that saves us all.  So, what happens in Revelation? Jesus returns and we are restored to full fellowship with God. Glory! Journal ways you can live today with this glorious end in mind. The Demo Day Journey Study might help us. Choose some verses highlighted throughout Friday’s Journey and write them on note cards to use as reminders of the goodness of God and our final victory in Jesus!

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Romans 5:19-21 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. The law came along to multiply the trespass. 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.

Prayer Journal
Lord, You knew from the beginning we would mess up, that I would mess up, and sin against You. And You already had a plan in mind. Thank You for a love so great I cannot fathom it! The sacrifice Jesus made for my sins is unimaginable, but yet it is imaginable. It is real. It is done. It is finished. The sin debt of humanity, started back in Eden and increased by my sins, has been paid in full by the blood of Jesus. It brings me to tears. But, Lord, may my tears water ground that is fertile for Your kingdom. Let them mean something for those who need to know You, but don’t yet trust You. May they move me to tell the world who You are and why they need Your love, sacrifice, and redemption. Let it be so, Lord!

Worship Through Community

Can we pray for you? Reach Out! We’d love to pray for and with you!
Send us an email at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com

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Comment Here or in our Facebook Community Group!

Worship Through Prayer

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Posted in: Confession, Enemies, God, Relationship, Sacrifice, Sin Tagged: confess, evil, God, relationship, sacrifice, Sin

Eden Day 15 Curse To Cure

May 6, 2022 by Sarah Young Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 3
Romans 5:12-21
Galatians 3:10-14
1 Corinthians 15

Eden, Day 15

Have you ever started a new book or series of shows, and before the first chapter or episode is over, you are hooked? As the story continues, you envision where the plot will go.

Then, out of nowhere comes a plot twist, and you are left wondering what in the world is happening! You MUST know, so you frantically skim future chapters or episode descriptions to grasp how the writers will redeem this awful thing.

We can do the same thing with the Bible. We may be reading in Genesis for our Journey Study today, but we can flip all the way to Revelation to learn how the story ends. Spoiler alert – Jesus wins!!! We can read other Bible books along the way to see how God has been masterfully weaving together all the details of history.

Each Journey Study in this Eden Theme has been an episode in God’s award-winning story.  Today’s installment is another emotional rollercoaster. (Genesis 3) The juicy fruit that once looked so delicious has fallen from Eve’s hand, dropped to the ground as the first man and woman realized their sin. The knowledge of good and evil left an awful taste in their mouths, and they hid in shame, cowering in fear. Still, God pursued them, graciously seeking them out in His goodness and love. Adam and Eve rebelled, but rather than turn His back on them, God set His redemptive plan in motion.

God wasn’t scrambling, trying to haphazardly repair the shattered pieces of His creation. No, if we look ahead to Ephesians 1:3-10, we see that before we were ever lost in sin, God knew the exact way we would be found. Restoration would come through the blood of His one and only Son, Jesus.

Yes, blood.
The payment for sin is death. (Romans 6:23)
In Genesis 3:21, we read, “The LORD God made clothing from skins for the man and his wife, and He clothed them.”

We could easily skim over this one line, but it holds so much significance. An animal was killed, its blood shed so its hide could cover Adam and Eve’s nakedness and shame. In the same way, Jesus would one day come in human flesh and take on the penalty of all sin for all time. His blood shed on the cross satisfied God’s just wrath; His holiness and perfection covered our sin. Through His death, Jesus would extend to us the free gift of eternal life. (Ephesians 2:1-10)

Unless Jesus would sacrifice Himself, there would be eternal separation between God and man. God sent Adam and Eve out of the Garden, to live out their days under the curse of their sin. (Genesis 3:22-24) This curse continues still, every man and woman born after Adam entering the world is separated from God, dead in our sin. (Romans 5:12-21)

But we are NOT without hope.

Let’s rewind to the scene where God is calling out for Adam and Eve. (Genesis 3:8-19) An eerie darkness has crept into the Garden, and slowly Adam and Eve come out from behind the bushes to face their Creator. The serpent is there too, for despite his craftiness, he cannot escape the consequences of his deception. We listen as God doles out curses, first to the serpent, then to Eve, and finally to Adam. In the midst of this heart-wrenching chapter, we find the most beautiful promise.

In the ashes of despair, God plants a seed of hope:

“I will put hostility between you [Satan] and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed [Jesus!].
He [Jesus!] will strike your [Satan] head,
And you [Satan] will strike His [Jesus] heel.” (Genesis 3:15)

With the hope of a coming Messiah, but no exact timeline, every generation after Adam would wait in eager anticipation for this promised One to deliver them from the curse of sin and death.

Satan, not knowing who would deliver the crushing blow to his head, determined to thwart God’s plan of salvation. He honed his skills, cunningly deceiving anyone who would listen as he whispered lies, stirred up doubt, and cast fear. (John 8:44; John 10:10; Ephesians 6:11-12; 1 Peter 5:8)

From Genesis to the opening chapters of the New Testament, this spiritual warfare raged on until FINALLY God’s timing is full and Jesus is born! (Galatians 4:4)

Jesus was God in flesh. (Colossians 1:19-23; John 1:1-18)
In taking on human form, He became a second Adam.

Whereas Adam’s (and Eve’s) sin resulted in physical and spiritual death for all mankind, Jesus’ death and resurrection would result in eternal life for all who believe in Him. (Hebrews 2:14-18)

This was God’s plan all along!!!! Jesus Himself would become the Cure for the curse. (Galatians 3:10-14) He willingly shed His blood, covering our sins with His righteousness and making it possible for us to stand before God justified and forgiven, free from all condemnation!! (Romans 8:1)

Every chain of sin, broken!
Our broken relationship with God, restored.
God’s promise, fulfilled.

Now, as we wait for Jesus to return, we live in light of that final victory!
The trumpet will sound, and all those who have died in Christ will be raised to new life, clothed with new eternal bodies, and joined together with God once more, just as God intended in Eden!!! (1 Corinthians 15; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

I can’t wait for THAT episode to release!

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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 Eden Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!

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

Posted in: God, Jesus, Love, Redeemed, Shame, Sin Tagged: God, Jesus, love, redeemed, Shame, Sin

Eden Day 14 Exiled For Good: Digging Deeper

May 5, 2022 by Melodye Reeves Leave a Comment

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 Exiled For Good!

The Questions

1) Does God’s grace give a believer the freedom to sin recklessly and consistently? (verses 15-16)

2) How can those in Christ be set free, yet at the same time be enslaved? (verse 18)

3) What prompted the apostle Paul to use the analogy of human freedom and slavery? (verses 19-20)

4) What are the contrasting results and outcome of choosing to depend on grace rather than law to save us? (verses 22-23)

Romans 6:16-23

15 What then? Should we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Absolutely not! 16 Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of that one you obey—either of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching to which you were handed over, 18 and having been set free from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness. 19 I am using a human analogy because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you offered the parts of yourselves as slaves to impurity, and to greater and greater lawlessness, so now offer them as slaves to righteousness, which results in sanctification. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free with regard to righteousness. 21 So what fruit was produced then from the things you are now ashamed of? The outcome of those things is death. 22 But now, since you have been set free from sin and have become enslaved to God, you have your fruit, which results in sanctification—and the outcome is eternal life! 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Original Intent

1) Does God’s grace give a believer the freedom to sin recklessly and consistently? (verses 15-16)
Since the original Koine-Greek didn’t provide punctuation, the translators supplied it as they saw necessary within the context. It is crucial to understand that Paul was emphatic in verse 15. Paul’s point of emphasis was essential to understanding God’s grace. Especially in an epistle, this kind of examination of the writer’s tone is vital to correct interpretation. When reading a letter we have received, we may repeatedly review the written words. We want to know if there is a hint of something more than what is evident. Punctuation is helpful as we assess tone. To understand Paul’s whole tone, we refer to his questions introduced in Romans 5:20-6:2. His question in verse 15 is not simply a repeat of those questions, but rather it evidences he is building his case. The verb tense in the Greek makes it clear that in the previous verses he is referring to continual sinning, while here it’s the act of a particular sin. (preceptaustin.org) Though Paul never indicates sin will completely lose its appeal, he makes it clear that a sinful lifestyle and specific acts of sin will be loathed by a professing believer. The Greek phrase mē genoito (“may it never be”) is the key to knowing how to punctuate these verses. It is why every reliable translation for verse 15 adds the exclamation point. Verse 16 stresses the importance of the believer’s slavery to obedience leading to righteousness, not to slavery to sin leading to death. “Having presented himself to God in dedication, the believer needs to obey Him. Obligation always follows dedication whether the dedication is to sin or to obedience. The outcome of dedication to sin is death, but the outcome of dedication to obedience is righteousness.” (studylight.org)

2) How can those in Christ be set free, yet at the same time be enslaved? (verse 18)
There is such a beautiful gospel paradox in verse 18! Only in God’s reality is there a freedom and a slavery that exists concurrently. The freedom to obey is a concept beyond our human comprehension. It requires faith in God’s word and in His promises, and a radical reconstruction of our view of sin and righteousness. Our human tendency is to see boundaries as restrictive, not freeing. A fish is restricted by water, while also alive in that water. It seems impossible for self-denial to be a demonstration of grace received. Yet it is this tension that is at the core of the entire book of Romans. The life of a Christ follower is one of continual, internal war between competing desires. Paul himself knew the struggle well. (Romans 7:18-23) The difference between genuine obedience to righteousness and attempting an obedience to the law is in our heart motivation. These believers obeyed “from the heart.” In verse 17, Paul expresses his thankfulness for their good choice to sincerely obey. Paul reminds the reader that “being enslaved to righteousness” is a position and a decision. We become slaves to righteousness when we come to Christ; it is our position as believers. (1 Corinthians 1:30-31) But we must choose to declare that freedom when temptations arise that would take us captive to sin again. (Galatians 3:21-27) Dedication to God’s way and God’s will does not provide an automatic assurance we will always do the right thing. Paul understands that not every believer will access his or her freedom (verse 16) from sin’s oppression and choose slavery to righteousness. Yet, righteousness obtained inevitably leads the people of God to desire to live in obedience to Him.

3) What prompted the apostle Paul to use the analogy of human freedom and slavery? (verses 19-20)
Jesus also spoke of being a slave to sin in John 8:34 because His hearers understood the relationship between slave and master all too well. They were keenly familiar with the circumstances in which serving as a slave necessitated yielding to the one in control. Paul also used this comparison because the understanding of its gravity was so common and readily understood by the masses. He wrote that he was “using a human analogy” (Romans 6:19) by comparing the believer’s situation to that of a free person on the one hand and to a slave on the other. Paul did this to help his readers grasp the critical importance of the message. He felt compelled to be extremely explicit due to their past relationship with sin. Paul wrote in verse 19 that he used this analogy “because of the weakness of their flesh [human nature]”. They were sinful humans needing God’s saving grace. (Romans 5:8-12) Now he reminded them that the saving grace they had initially experienced would be the same grace that produced the righteousness in them on a regular basis. Bible scholars call this process of choosing which way we’ll be enslaved “progressive sanctification”. Though we possess the righteousness of Christ and eternal life at the moment of our salvation (John 10:28-29, 1 Peter 1:3-5), believers are a work in progress even now as His Spirit makes us more like Christ. Paul said that each time we choose righteousness over sin, sanctification is taking place. (verse 22, see question 4) “[This] refers to the process in our daily lives by which we are being conformed to the image of Christ. It is the process of becoming what we are in Christ. This involves the putting off of the old habits of lying, stealing, backbiting, etc., and putting on the Christ-like qualities of honesty, mercy, and love.” (Bible.org)

4) What are the contrasting results and outcome of choosing to depend on grace rather than law to save us? (verses 22-23)
Paul consistently though of the law in terms of its commands, so when he speaks of righteousness not being attained through the law, he has this in mind. For more of Paul’s teaching regarding the law, his letter to the Galatians is helpful. Check out our accompanying Journey Theme: Freedom. Paul says in verse 15 these believers were “not under the law but under grace.” The Law had provided for the people the habits of holiness, but it could not change their sinful nature. It lacked the power to change the desire of their hearts. Paul’s concern was that this newfound grace would wrongly lead them to sin more by completely ignoring the Law as if it no longer mattered. He was astonished at this response. Since the fruit of their failed attempts to keep the Law was shame, why would they take for granted the grace that had freed them from that?! Sin had held them captive to an eventual death. BUT NOW (verse 22) there was different fruit that would be produced through God’s Spirit! No longer would the fruit be shame, it would be life! This new life generates fruit that glorifies God and creates lasting joy, where the ultimate outcome is eternal life. Paul equates being a slave to righteousness with being “a slave to God.” (verse 22) Their now-Master is God Himself instead of Sin. Paul had explained in Romans 1:28-32 that sin was serious and that the wages were fair. All sinners “deserve” to die. Now he repeats the important outcome of sin and the contrast that must be acknowledged, “The wages of sin is DEATH.” (verse 23) But under grace – that is, the gift of God – the outcome is eternal LIFE! (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Everyday Application

1) Does God’s grace give a believer the freedom to sin recklessly and consistently? (verses 15-16)
Maybe you’ve heard someone say, ‘freedom isn’t free’. That’s likely accurate when it comes to a nation, but when it comes to God’s grace, what sounds too good to be true is a believer’s reality! This sets up a believer for a lifelong fight against the craftiest enemy to ever exist. Because Satan hates us and he hates God, he will constantly whisper in our ear, “Did God really say?”(Genesis 3:1) His whispers can tempt us to either distrust someone who gives us an expensive gift with no strings attached (John 3:16-17, Ephesians 2:8-9), or take advantage of their generosity. Paul worried about the readers doing the latter. From a purely natural viewpoint, grace is scandalous. That’s why the enemy’s scheme is a devious one. “Did God really offer you HIS righteousness for free?!” Everything Paul reminded the reader of in verses 3-9 is true for us as believers. Though the non-believing person is free from righteousness, when we experience grace we have no desire for that kind of freedom. Our response to God’s grace should not be to live a life of rebellion, void of submission and thankfulness. May that never be, my sweet sister! We are free from the penalty of our sin, and are now both required and free to say no to sin on a daily basis and free to follow Jesus into life everlasting. It’s not too good to be true, it’s delightfully freeing!

2) How can those in Christ be set free, yet at the same time be enslaved? (verse 18)
Sister, this is everything! Do you remember the story Jesus told of the generous father and ungrateful son in Luke 15:11-32? The son wanted freedom from boundaries and obedience, so he asked for his inheritance and left home. But his choice didn’t lead to freedom at all, but into deeper slavery. He became entrenched in slavery to his selfish desires and eventually became someone’s servant who took care of pigs. He wanted to free himself but he enslaved himself in the process. It was only when he came to his senses, realized the love he had abandoned, and humbly returned home to his father that he found grace and real freedom. We are that son in so many ways. We think freedom is found in living a life centered on ourselves, our desires, and our happiness. Maybe you’ve experienced the anguish of choosing a life free of righteousness only to find it led you to despair and desperation. Often, this choice involves so much pain and sorrow. It is certainly true that we will not be completely free from our sinful desires until Jesus returns. There will be a never-ending battle to walk in that freedom until He does. Even as people who bask in our righteous condition, from time to time we will give into sin which we must confess. (1 John 1:8-2:2) But once we’ve tasted and digested the good grace of God, we will desire to stay away from what displeases Him.

3) What prompted the apostle Paul to use the analogy of human freedom and slavery? (verses 19-20)
The history of humanity is deeply embedded with the element of slavery. Many Bible scholars believe slavery in biblical times was very different from the wicked slavery that has plagued our world. For one, it was rarely based exclusively on race. In Bible times, slavery was based more on economics and social status. People often sold themselves to pay their debts and provide for their families. Some actually chose to be servants of others. This is helpful as we attempt to comprehend Paul’s analogy because he intentionally chose it to illustrate his point. Let’s consider the picture he paints for us as it points us to the way of salvation. The slavery Paul writes of had nothing to do with society or the reformation of a social system, but it had everything to do with the reformation of a person’s mindset. When we experience God’s gift of salvation and freedom from the slavery of sin, God reforms our soul. It is then we realize that the slavery Paul speaks of is tied to an allegiance. We are no longer bound to sin that drives us to obey unrighteousness. We are now bound to a better Master, God Himself! This kind of slavery actually offers freedom for life. It’s a glorious paradox that shouts: Emancipation Day! You’re all free to obey God and live in His righteousness!

4) What are the contrasting results and outcome of choosing to depend on grace rather than law to save us? (verses 22-23)
Jesus said in Matthew 5:17-20 that He did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. It is through Him we are no longer responsible to perfectly keep the regulations we find in the Law for our salvation. We couldn’t if we tried! Understanding the grace of God in Christ helps us to keep Him precious in our souls, sweet friend. We see His beauty and we are drawn to it. Sister, it is this glorious grace He offers that compels us to obey. We have the freedom to reject this offer, but once we understand the value of this free gift we are overwhelmed with gratitude. It is by God’s grace, through faith in His promise, we are saved from death. (Galatians 3:21-26) It is this grace that also attracts us to our Savior. (2 Corinthians 4:6) John Piper offers an excellent insight, “[There are] people whose Christianity is a group of ideas about Christ, not an experience of the preciousness of Christ. Their Christianity is all truth and no treasure. All ‘choice’ and no cherishing. All logic about Christ and no love for Christ. All ‘decision’ and no delight. Oh, that we would all pursue the preciousness of Christ. And the preciousness of justification by faith. And the preciousness of being under grace, not under law. He came under law and satisfied the law, so that we might be redeemed from law and become children of God.” The outcome of choosing our own righteousness by trying to keep the law is death. BUT the outcome of choosing Christ’s righteousness through His grace is LIFE FOREVER!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Exiled For Good!

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!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Eden Week Three!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up
to receive every GT Journey Study!

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 :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

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 The Groom & His Bride!

The Questions

1) What is the “business” God has given for us to do?

2) How do we better understand God as a Groom through this passage?

3) How does God’s eternal character comfort His Bride, the Church, in verses 14-15?

Ecclesiastes 3:9-15

What gain has the worker from his toil? 10 I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12 I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live;13 also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.

14 I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. 15 That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.

Original Intent

1) What is the “business” God has given for us to do?
The phrasing in verse 10, “I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with” refers to the scene from Genesis 3 when the curse is laid on Adam as a result of his sin in the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 3:17-19) The curse details how, even though Adam had previously been given work as a gift, now the work would carry a burden, it would be difficult, and produce only a fraction of what it would have before the effects of sin. The work God intended to bring us life and satisfaction in the doing of it, will now be twisted with sin and death. The Genesis passage also references life itself, which was a gift given to humankind, but now because of sin, all life will return to dust. If this were the end of the story, life itself is utterly meaningless. (Ecclesiastes 1:14)

2) How do we better understand God as a Groom through this passage?
Verse 11 immediately follows up the meaninglessness of verse 10 with hope, “He has made everything beautiful in its time”, which also references the finishing of Creation in Genesis 1:31 when God declared that everything He had made was very good. All of creation, in its original design, was very good, flawless without a hint of imperfection, but man chose sin, destroying the beauty. (Ecclesiastes 7:29, Genesis 3:6-7) Yet, the God who made everything beautiful at creation’s inception, is not impotent when it comes to sin and its decay. The same all-powerful God who formed atoms at the beginning of time and space, is the same all-powerful God who “has put eternity into man’s heart”. There is more beyond the “now”, there is eternity, and an eternal God who, in His own creation, shaped the heart of all people to long for eternity, to seek out the eternal God…to look for HOPE beyond themselves. This is the heart of a Groom who longs for His Bride. This is a picture of a pursuant God who intentionally designed His Beloved to hunger for Him, to ache to be made whole.

3) How does God’s eternal character comfort His Bride, the Church, in verses 14-15?
The teacher of Ecclesiastes notes that “whatever God does, endures forever” (verse 14) His purposes are sure and His plans cannot be thwarted, even in spite of our sin! The teacher further goes on to explain that this eternality of God and His immutability, is for our benefit. He set up creation that humanity would perceive the character of God (Romans 1:20) in order that we might fear Him (meaning to stand in absolute stunning awe of Him), come to know Him, and call Him Lord for ourselves. He is the pursuant Groom, and we are the ones He is seeking that He might call us His Bride! “God seeks what has been driven away.” (verse 15)

Everyday Application

1) What is the “business” God has given for us to do?
The “business” God has given is the gift of work. Whatever your work is, this is the gift of God. How do you spend your days? What fills them? What is your work and when was the last time you saw it as a gift? What makes our work a gift, even now living in a fallen world with the effects of the curse pervading every aspect of life, is Who we do the work for. Work is redeemed when we see it as a means to glorify God and love others. (Colossians 3:17) Verse 12 notes, “I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live.” Enjoy your work (Ecclesiastes 3:22), honor the giver of work, and love others well (Psalm 34:14, Psalm 37:3).

2) How do we better understand God as a Groom through this passage?
As you consider your everyday life, your work, your relationships, your joys, and your sorrows, where are you longing for Hope? What would begin to shift in your perspective and your heart when you consider that God intentionally designed for you to seek and know and be found by Him and He uses your everyday scenarios to draw you closer to Himself? What if you began to see your everyday, real life situations as invitations from the Almighty to come to Him, to seek Him, and be known by Him? Would you reach for Him more willingly? Would you call out for His help more frequently? Perhaps your heart would even become more quickly stirred to aching for His return when He will make all things new and beautiful once again. (Revelation 21:5)

3) How does God’s eternal character comfort His Bride, the Church, in verses 14-15?
I’m a mom of 7; nothing I do lasts for 5 minutes, let alone for eternity. Laundry, dishes, tidy beds, or a stocked pantry last only moments, but what God does never fades. God Himself is eternal, and because He loves His Bride, He has created a future for her to dwell with Him for eternity. His Church, the Beloved, made up of all those special and unique lives that have surrendered their all to Him, will finally find fullness and sweetness as it was designed to be from the beginning. We will inherit a life of purpose, a life of productivity, a life of intimacy with God, a life that will last for eternity! This kind of hope will never fail!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with The Groom &His Bride!

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!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Bride Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up
to receive every GT Journey Study!

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 :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Posted in: Christ, God, Grace, Righteousness, Salvation, Sin Tagged: Christ, God, grace, righteousness, salvation Christ, Sin

Eden Day 13 Exiled For Good

May 4, 2022 by Rebecca Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 2
Genesis 3
Romans 6:16-23
Galatians 3:10-14

Eden, Day 13

“The grasses sang together, the dew’s drops harmonized, and the whir of insect wings melodically magnified the rhythmic sway of undiluted, adoring praise to the Maker.”

Eve’s melodic words flowed quickly as she remembered. “We were blissfully free, although we didn’t understand this exquisite gift of Presence we so innocently enjoyed. Our feet danced to the cadence of the lilting music with every movement. Oh how I loved to talk with the wiggling worms and listen to the trees laugh in the breeze!”

Eve laughed, and the rich hues of deep mirth beckoned to all who heard. “Everything held abundant life, or was upheld by it.”

She shook her head at the still-unfathomable mystery. “Every being was sustained by the Indescribable wonder of the Maker Himself. His beauty was reflected in every pool of shimmering water, every star’s arching song over the curve of the earth, and every baying creature’s unique sound. As the sun-warmed grass welcomed our dancing feet, even our work felt like playful delight as we cared for the earth and the animals. Adam and I…”

Eve sighed longingly as she remembered Great-Grandfather. “How perfectly we fit together, not just bodies and hands, but purpose and . . . ” she stumbled for a word and landed on, “… joy. How wondrous it was to join, with him, creation’s worship of Yahweh.”

Eve never tired of telling the wonder of that delight before…

I wiggled in spite of myself, thinking of what was to come. I’d heard my great-grandmother tell her tale a hundred times, and though I loved it more with every re-telling, the familiar ending always sent my heart plummeting.

Would the Maker cast me out as well?
Did He know the way I pouted behind my mother’s back and how I kicked my little brother?
Could I hide from Yahweh better than Great-Grandmother?

“Tell us about the two trees!” Kenan’s excited voice rose above the murmur of the children encircling Eve’s dusky fire. I elbowed him, preferring to linger on Eden’s perfection. I wanted nothing to do with the two trees and all they meant. Couldn’t Kenan understand how they tarnished him, too?

Still, Great-Grandmother’s voice rang out like crystal waters and I was immersed again as she spoke of the wide clearing of lush green grasses carpeting the warm earth at the base of the two trees. “Life and Death were set before us every day in the Garden, my children. Every day, we had the choice to eat of the Tree of Life and live forever with Yahweh in bliss; Abba never forbade it.” (Genesis 2:8-9, 15-17)

“But you didn’t choose Life! You chose DEATH.” Kenan clamored again; I couldn’t help but kick him in the shin. Why did he press so? He scowled at me, rubbing his bruise, and Eve pretended not to notice.

“You’re right, Kenan,” Eve continued, her free-falling tears belying her lilting smile. “We did choose death. That day, when Adam and I walked through the Garden, I felt a slippery snake sneak up beside me.

“Through his questions, I suddenly saw the two trees differently.
I asked myself, ‘Had Yahweh been holding out on us? Would we experience greater goodness if we disobeyed Him? What if He wasn’t wholly as good as He’d led us to believe?’”
(Genesis 3:1-6)

“But He was wholly good, wasn’t He?” I was surprised to hear my own quiet voice, and to taste salt on my lips from tears matching Great-Grandmother Eve’s. Her gaze caught mine with tenderness, and she nodded, sensing I had suddenly grasped something new and rich.

“Yes. The Maker’s intent was only always, and still is yet, wholly good. Even as Adam and I ate the forbidden fruit and chose rebellion over the supreme goodness of knowing Yahweh and walking with Him, even then He was good.” She leaned forward and wiped my tears with her crooked fingers, and in a whisper that sounded like dew drops, “He Still Is.”

It was then, in the ending I loathed, that sobs shook my small frame.
Not in sorrow, but in worship.
Yahweh’s goodness banished Adam and Eve from the Garden.

What if–lost and condemned in their sin–they had then eaten from the Tree of Life and lived forever, separated from God?! What loathsome punishment! What horror–a literal hell on earth.

Instead, He banished them because He was good. Even tucked inside His curse was hidden Hope, for one day the Serpent Crusher would come to win Victory over his Death. (Genesis 3:15)

No, I was no better than Great-Grandmother Eve.
Again and again, I enacted my slavery to sin and earned death. (Romans 6:16-23)
And yet, even as my life pointed unswervingly to death, Yahweh was wholly good.
He’d given me a body to move in and air to breathe and food to eat and the beauty of the afternoon sun’s slant and the joy of friendship.

Yes, sin’s curse held us captive, but Yahweh held our victory, and our hope.
One day, the Serpent Crusher would walk among us and die for us and rise again, breaking the curse and restoring us to His Presence, now and for eternity.
(Galatians 3:10-14)

“But now, since you have been set free from sin and have become enslaved to God, you have your fruit, which results in sanctification–and the outcome is eternal life!” (Romans 6:22)

 

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!
Join our Facebook Community!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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 Eden 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 Eden!

Posted in: Creation, Hope, Lord, Sin, Song, Worship Tagged: creator, hope, Lord, Sin, song, worship

Eden Day 11 The Blame Game

May 2, 2022 by Lori Meeks Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 3
Psalms 51
John 10:1-13
Romans 8:31-39

Eden, Day 11

Sin.
It’s an ugly word.
We often try to avoid it, saying instead: I messed up, my temper got the best of me, I was hangry, rules are just suggestions.

Reading the Old Testament fascinates me, because it’s easy to see not much has changed since the beginning of time.

For example, consider the conversation between God and Adam in Genesis 3:8-10 (emphasis mine) regarding sin:
“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. So the LORD God called out to the man and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ 

And he said, ‘I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.’”

Can’t you imagine this happening today?
During those times when I try to “hide” from God because of my sin, I imagine God whispering to my soul, “Hey Lori, whatcha’ doin over there?”
I imagine replying, “Hiding from you God, duh.”
Joking aside, we all do this. Much like Adam and Eve, in our sin, we try to hide from God, hoping He won’t notice.

But God does notice. In Genesis 3, we see God gently nudging Adam to come clean by asking some pointed questions:
“Where are you?” (verse 9)
“Who told you that you were naked?” (verse 11)
“Did you eat from that tree I commanded you not to eat from?” (verse 11)

Still, Adam won’t admit his sin. He sidesteps God’s first question about his nakedness; instead, launching into “it wasn’t my fault,” beginning the first blame game. (Genesis 3:12) And don’t we do this? Yet we cannot hide from God, or fool Him with blame-shifting. He sees us exactly as we are: naked, exposed, and afraid.

I think of our youngest daughter when I read this story. From an early age she came to us, without prompting, to admit she (or her sister) had done something wrong. Given her second-born-child tendency to push boundaries, this happened often!

As a parent, this was a pretty sweet gig. We could rest assured that if either child had transgressed, our youngest would let us know long before we would find out on our own. Thinking back, I have no idea where this behavior came from, because I have always been a “rules are basically suggestions” kind of girl.

But she was nearly always compelled to admit her wrongdoing,
and when you think about it, isn’t this exactly how we should be with God!
Unlike us parents, God already knows when we sin,
and He wants our honest confession.

Psalm 51 is a great example of confessing sin that stems from true heartfelt repentance. When confronted with his sin, verse 4 describes King David acknowledging it by saying to God,

“Against You—You alone—I have sinned and done this evil in Your sight. So You are right when you pass sentence; You are blameless when You judge.”

Like Adam and Eve and King David, we too have a sneaky enemy who twists God’s words, tempting us into sin. John 10:10 tells us our enemy is coming to “steal and kill and destroy.” Therefore, we need to be on guard, ready to meet the lies of the enemy with God’s truth. In this same verse, Jesus also says, “I have come so that [you] may have life and have it in abundance.” Instead of agonizing over our sin or trying to hide it, we can come before our gracious Savior and confess, “I have sinned, Jesus, and I’m sorry.”

Indeed, Scripture explains,
“If we say, ‘We have no sin,’ we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8-9)

Romans 8:31-39 provides us with the confident hope we need when dealing with sin. Read these words slowly and then spend some time reflecting or journaling on their meaning.

“What, then, are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything? Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: 

Because of you
we are being put to death all day long;
we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered. 

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!
Join our Facebook Community!

Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

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 Eden 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 Eden!

Posted in: Confession, God, Heart, Love, Old Testament, Sin Tagged: Confession, God, heart, love, Old Testament, Sin

The GT Weekend! ~ Eden Week 2

April 30, 2022 by Katelyn Palmer Leave a Comment

The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) In the beginning of Genesis, we catch a glimpse of the life God intends for us. We see beauty in every aspect of life, even, or perhaps especially, in work. In our broken world, we can easily lose sight of the biblical significance of labor and its fruit. Society’s version of work leaves us disheartened, unfulfilled, and stressed because it shifts the focus off God. When you find yourself in the thick of it at work, what’s your focus point that renews your strength and motivates you? If it’s anything but God, you will eventually find it insufficient. When we change the lens through which we view labor, filtering our perspective through God’s character, we realize the gift of work! Each day, God provides opportunities to glorify Him and align ourselves with His character as we enter work attempting to model Him as He diligently labored over Creation. When you struggle to push through whatever labor you face, pray for God to shift your lens and align your heart with His. Don’t be discouraged should you not see tangible fruit from your labor, instead remind yourself of the truths Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:58, “be steadfast…excelling in the Lord’s work because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain,” and Galatians 6:9, “let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.”

2) Temptation is perhaps Satan’s most effective tool to spiritually attack mankind. He merely sets up situations that pull at the sinful desires of our flesh, knowing our bodies are at war with the Spirit of God living inside us, leaving us weakened and vulnerable. The best illustration of handling temptation is on display as Jesus suffered temptation in the wilderness after His baptism by John. He spent 40 days and 40 nights being tempted by the devil, but effectively resisting the urge to sin. (Matthew 4:1-11) Each time Satan spoke, Jesus replied using Scripture from the Old Testament. He used God’s words, the very words we read in our Bibles today, to expose Satan’s lies with Truth. This requires us to spend intentional time studying the Bible. Scripture is God’s favorite way to talk to us. What are some activities you could sacrifice in order to make time to listen to God and equip yourself against temptation? Could you wake up 30 minutes earlier, or turn off the television a little bit sooner, or scroll on social media a little less?

3) Jesus didn’t spend his time as a human here on earth building marble laden castles, throwing lavish feasts, and laughing drunkenly in wide hallways ordained with gold and silver. He walked the dirt lined paths of His earthly kingdom with His bare feet alongside messy, imperfect people, healing the sick and despised. He engaged them with questions that illuminated truth, tore holes in their lies, brought understanding and healing, and exposed those who weren’t yet ready to hear the answers they sought. God has never stopped asking us questions, engaging us in conversation to illuminate, heal, and expose the sin in our lives and lead us back to Him. His goal has always been to share in relationship with His creation, so make it a point, today, to follow His lead and engage the next person you run into with His love. Be open minded and intentional. After all, you never know where a question could lead, or how the Lord could use your obedience to rescue a soul for eternity!

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from 2 Corinthians 11:12-15 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

But I will continue to do what I am doing, in order to deny an opportunity to those who want to be regarded as our equals in what they boast about. For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no great surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will be according to their works.

Prayer Journal
Dear Yahweh, I thank you for being the guiding star that ever points north and whose light never falters. Each morning, You give me a day full of new opportunities to bring glory to Your name. I ask for Your help in shifting my gaze back to You when I lose sight of this gift. Please give me a heart that aches for Your Word and a soul thirsting for truth. I ask for Your direction when navigating worldly temptation. Please, Holy Spirit, remind me to put on Your armor in protection of the enemy as Ephesians 6:10-18 commands. Help me recollect Scripture in my times of weakness and allow me to move forward with the shield of faith and my feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace.

Give me courage to explore the power of asking questions not just with my loved ones and close friends, but with strangers and even my enemies, as I remember this battle we are in is not against flesh and bone, but against spiritual powers beyond what my eyes can see. Help me remember You love my enemy just as You love me. Thank You, Yahweh, for Your endless grace and mercy. May Your will be done in me today and every day. Amen.

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Posted in: Creation, Gift, God, Heart, Sin, Strength Tagged: creation, gift, God, heart, Sin, strength

Eden Day 9 Temptation Tactics: Digging Deeper

April 28, 2022 by Shannon Vicker 1 Comment

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 Temptation Tactics!

The Questions

1) What does Paul mean by his questions in verse 1 and what is his motivation in asking?

2) What does “buried with Christ by baptism into death” and “raised from the dead” mean in verse 4?

3) Does Paul mean that once a person is in Christ they will never sin again? (verses 6-11)

Romans 6:1-15

What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? 2 Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, 7 since a person who has died is freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, 9 because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over him. 10 For the death he died, he died to sin once for all time; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires. 13 And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness. 14 For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under the law but under grace.

15 What then? Should we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Absolutely not!

Original Intent

1) What does Paul mean by his questions in verse 1 and what is his motivation in asking?
In the preceding chapter, Paul reminded his audience of the consequences of sin through Adam’s rebellion and the gift of redemption in Jesus’ sacrifice. (Romans 5:12-21) He then shifted to asking his readers if they should continue to sin in order that grace may multiply to them in forgiveness through Christ. Paul wants his readers to reflect carefully on their everyday choices. Does Christ’s sacrifice allow them a free pass to continue sinning? Paul quickly answers his own question with a definitive, “Absolutely Not!”. (verse 2) He continued by reminding them that once they have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, the believer is “dead to sin” and alive to Christ. Jesus died an excruciatingly painful death to pay the penalty of death and separation from God, which all of us deserve; this radical sacrifice speaks to the seriousness of sin. His resurrection does not minimize the gravity of sin and its deadly consequences. Paul’s intention is to remind them of this.

2) What does “buried with Christ by baptism into death” and “raised from the dead” mean in verse 4?
In Paul’s day, baptism meant immersion in water as was instituted by John the Baptizer. This meant they were completely covered, or buried, in water resembling Christ’s death and burial. Just as Jesus died for the consequence of sin, those who are baptized are symbolically buried along with Christ. Rather than burial in the ground, it’s a burial using water. The Roman believers to whom Paul was writing knew this meant their old, sinful ways were dead and buried with Christ and a new creation was now born through the resurrection of Jesus from the grave. When they were raised out of the water, it symbolized freedom from the penalty of death for their sin. They were now rebirthed (John 3:3-6), having moved from death to life, raised with Christ to walk in the newness of His resurrected life by the power of His Spirit alive inside every believer. While baptism doesn’t save us, it’s generally the first act of obedience for a new Christ-follower who has given themselves to Him. Baptism is the outward symbol of an internal reality; it publicly declares Jesus’ blood now covers all sin and the new believer no longer looks like their former selves. (Galatians 3:27)

3) Does Paul mean that once a person is in Christ they will never sin again? (verses 6-11)
Paul speaks a great deal about believers being dead to sin, especially in the first several chapters of Romans. However, he is not saying that once a person is in Christ they will never sin again. Verse 14 provides clarity when he writes, “sin will not rule” meaning it doesn’t have the final say and we aren’t owned by it as believers in Jesus, but learning to submit our new selves to the rule of Christ is practiced and learned over an entire lifetime. Paul alludes to this “training to be like Christ” in verses 12-13 when using language like “do not let sin” and “do not offer any part [of your mortal body] to sin”. (emphasis mine) Our flesh will still desire to sin when we are lured away from Christ by temptation, and at times, we will decide to choose sin and offer ourselves to sin instead of to Christ. Paul passionately reminded his readers they are not controlled by their sinful selves and former pattern of living. Christ lives in them through His Holy Spirit who helps them discern what is sinful and what is not and leads them to make choices that honor the new life we have been given in Jesus!

Everyday Application

1) What does Paul mean by his questions in verse 1 and what is his motivation in asking?
Paul’s question regarding sin and grace should cause us to stop and contemplate our own approach to sin. The obvious answer is no, we should not sin more so Christ’s grace can be poured out on us. Justifying our sin proves a callous understanding of the offensiveness of sin and the immense sacrifice of Christ on our behalf. Charles Spurgeon speaks of this when he said, “If Christ has died for my sin, I cannot rifle with the evil that killed my best friend.” We deserved death for our sin, but Jesus paid the price with His life. The reward of redemption back to God is a gift we could never earn on our own for God, in all His holiness, cannot be in the presence of sin. The NLT Study Bible says, “The availability of God’s mercy must not become an excuse for careless living and moral laxness.” We do not earn the right to sin more in order to gain more grace. There is no excuse for sin for the believer. On the contrary, when we accept Jesus as our Savior from sin, we become a new creation and our old self is dead along with our old desires to keep on sinning. (Colossians 3:3-4). As we grow in our relationship with Christ, His Spirit shapes us to look more like Him and less like our sinful selves. We will never be free from the pull of sin’s alluring temptation until the day we are finally with Jesus in eternity, but our desire to give into sin lessens as we grow closer to God.

2) What does “buried with Christ by baptism into death” and “raised from the dead” mean in verse 4?
Just as the early believers’ sin nature became spiritually dead and was buried and then were raised from the dead with a new Christ-nature, so are we! The moment we accept Jesus, we become a new creation, one that belongs to Him. Our sin is paid for and our lives are covered by the blood of Jesus. He has paid the price for our sin and we no longer live bound by a sin nature that desires to follow cravings that oppose God and His character. Jesus broke the chains of bondage and freed all who believe in Him. Early believers practiced full immersion baptism which follows the example of Jesus’ baptism by John. (Matthew 3:13-17) Many believers today still practice full immersion baptism as a symbol of their faith in Jesus. When we choose to do so, we are following the model of Christ, and putting on display that we have surrendered to Jesus. Our lives are no longer ruled by Sin for we have been buried with Christ in the grave, and been raised with Him from the dead to live the rest of our days as a new creation. As Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me! The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” When we know our old sinful self has been put to death, we are motivated to resist sin and allow our lives to be transformed through the Holy Spirit.

3) Does Paul mean that once a person is in Christ they will never sin again? (verses 6-11)
By no means do these verses mean we will never sin again, even as devoted Christ-followers! But when we do choose sin, the Spirit blessedly convicts us, and we are grieved for how we’ve rebelled against God who sacrificially saved us. John’s letters remind us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) As Paul adamantly penned, “you are not under law but under grace.” (verse 14) As we wait for the return of Christ, we’re surrounded by a sinful, fallen world; temptation to sin abounds and sometimes we sin. However, we can be encouraged that with the Holy Spirit living in us, He will grow us to look less like our old sinful selves and more like Christ. Consider keeping a prayer journal as a way of marking where you are now spiritually; as you grow over time with Jesus, you will be able to look back and see how He has continued to shape you to be like Him! As believers we will sin less the closer to walk with Christ, but the battle against sin remains. Paul addresses this in Romans 7:14-25 where he writes of the inner struggle against sin, “For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do.” Sisters, we will sin after accepting Jesus until the day we die or He returns, but resist the urge to use His forgiveness as an excuse to sin! Instead, let’s allow Jesus to change our heart desires to long for Him more than our sin. When we do sin, let’s be quick to accept the conviction of the Spirit, ask forgiveness, and be restored in our relationship with God!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Temptation Tactics!

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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Posted in: Holy Spirit, Jesus, Love, Scripture, Sin, Spirit Tagged: holiness, Jesus, love, mercy, Sin, spirit

Eden Day 8 Temptation Tactics

April 27, 2022 by Sarah Afan Leave a Comment

Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 3:1-6
John 8:44-47
2 Corinthians 11:12-15
Matthew 4:1-11
Ephesians 6:10-18

Eden, Day 8

Scripture tells us Adam and Eve were the first people God created. He placed them in the Garden of Eden, where He provided them with everything they needed, but there was one particular tree God commanded them not to eat from. God said the tree was for the knowledge of good and evil and would bring death if they ate its fruit. Deceptive Satan, in the form of a serpent, deceived Adam and Eve and they ate from the tree. This rebellion resulted in the fall of humanity; the sweet fellowship that once existed between God and humankind came to an end. (Genesis 3)

One may ask why this ugly scenario is in the midst of such beautiful creation?
Why the deception and the disobedience?

The Bible explains, “God is love” (1 John 4:16b), and true love does not force One’s will. He gave humankind free will; we can choose to obey Him or not. Like Adam and Eve, our choices always, always have consequences, whether for life or death.

While we might blame them for choosing disobedience and wrecking, well, everything, we are guilty of the same sins. We easily fall victim to Satan’s deception in our minds and hearts. As Jesus revealed,

“For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slander.” (Matthew 15:19)

It may not be our delight to sin against God, but we easily fall victim to temptation. As Apostle Paul said, “For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is in my flesh. For the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it. For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do.” (Romans 7:18-19)

At the fall of humankind, sin became inherent in humans; we inherited the nature of sin from our ancestors, Adam and Eve. The urge to sin is dominant in us, because we are naturally sinful. Though we are born again in Christ, we are still living in bodies susceptible to sin, as we live in a world temporarily ruled by Satan. (John 16:11)
We are faced with two options: do God’s will, or our will.
Though God’s Spirit lives in us, He does not control us as robots; He allows us to make our own choices.

Aware of this freedom of choice, Satan uses many temptation tactics against us. Some of his tactics include lies (John 8:44), masquerading as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14-15), and blinding people’s minds (2 Corinthians 4:4). We saw his manipulation at work when he deceived Eve, telling her God was withholding something good from her, and her disobedience would certainly not lead to death, but to becoming God-like.

Throughout Scripture, as time passed, his tactics didn’t change. Satan manipulated and deceived men like King David, Achan, and Moses, and they each chose to sin against God.

One evening, King David was on the roof of his palace and saw a woman bathing. Satan enticed him with lust, and David committed rape, adultery, and murder. (2 Samuel 11)

In the same way, Achan, a military leader, coveted and stole the spoils of war, despite being warned against such greed. (Joshua 7:20-21) Satan enticed Achan with lust for the riches before him.

Similarly, Moses struck a rock to get water for the Israelites instead of speaking to it as God instructed. (Numbers 20:6-13) He was enticed by pride, acting as if the power to provide for the people belonged to him.

Sisters, though we may not be kings, military leaders, or deliverers for a people through the wilderness, we can also fall victim to any of those tactics. Knowing our susceptibility to sin, Apostle Paul urges us to put on the full armor of God so we can stand against the schemes of the devil. (Ephesians 6:10-20)

Likewise, Apostle Peter calls us to be sober-minded and alert because our adversary prowls around like a roaring lion seeking prey. (1 Peter 5:8) Jesus instructed us to watch and pray lest we fall into temptation. (Matthew 26:41) Proverbs 4:23 exhorts us to guard our hearts above all else because they are the source of life.

Diligently studying Scripture equips us to discern the activities of Satan. Once we understand his moves, we can resist him as Apostle James instructs us, overcoming Satan’s temptation tactics as we grow closer to God:

“Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:7-8)

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Posted in: Christ, Enemies, Fellowship, God, Hope, Love, Sin Tagged: Christ, evil, fellowship, God, love, Sin
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