The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Romans 2:13,
"For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous."
Paul goes on in this letter to demonstrate we have all broken God's law which results in none of us being righteous in his sight. In Romans 3:20 he sums up the hopelessness of being righteous in God's sight by keeping the law given Moses, "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin." His point is that the value of the law God gave resided in its ability to show each one of us what sinners we are.
Although we have an inability to keep God's law because of an abiding sinful nature we all share in, there is still an interesting observation in Paul's comment above. He points out that it is not just exposure to the things of God that may make us acceptable (or not) in God's sight, but participating, doing, partaking, in the things of the Lord - not just listening.
If I approach my relationship with Jesus Christ as a spectator, if I watch the pastor go toe to toe with the devil in a worship service, if I leave my training and maturing spiritually in the hands of others, that just makes me a "hearer" and not a "doer". I have to interact with the Lord, I have to go to him in humility and prayer, I have to take on the responsibility to "feed myself" spiritually. Showing up for the worship service and the prayer meeting just won't do.
I don't want to find myself in the shoes of the person the writer of Hebrews had in his sights when he said, "In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."
"Constant use", "training", participation. I need to be a doer!
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do." James 1:22-25.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
"For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous."
Paul goes on in this letter to demonstrate we have all broken God's law which results in none of us being righteous in his sight. In Romans 3:20 he sums up the hopelessness of being righteous in God's sight by keeping the law given Moses, "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin." His point is that the value of the law God gave resided in its ability to show each one of us what sinners we are.
Although we have an inability to keep God's law because of an abiding sinful nature we all share in, there is still an interesting observation in Paul's comment above. He points out that it is not just exposure to the things of God that may make us acceptable (or not) in God's sight, but participating, doing, partaking, in the things of the Lord - not just listening.
If I approach my relationship with Jesus Christ as a spectator, if I watch the pastor go toe to toe with the devil in a worship service, if I leave my training and maturing spiritually in the hands of others, that just makes me a "hearer" and not a "doer". I have to interact with the Lord, I have to go to him in humility and prayer, I have to take on the responsibility to "feed myself" spiritually. Showing up for the worship service and the prayer meeting just won't do.
I don't want to find myself in the shoes of the person the writer of Hebrews had in his sights when he said, "In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil."
"Constant use", "training", participation. I need to be a doer!
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do." James 1:22-25.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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