Study of Romans 12 – Verse 11

    How are you doing, spiritually?

    Pause for a moment and consider: in comparison to how you were one year ago, five years ago, how are you doing?

Are you a more willing sacrifice, or are you growing irritated by ‘all you have to give up,’ ‘all you have to do’?

Have you continued to renew your mind through study and obedience, or have other interests got in the way?

Are you transformed (changed for the better - more like the Lord and less like the world), or has conformity kept you from the treasures found only in God and Jesus (Colossians 2:2-3)?

Are you using the abilities you have been blessed with to serve God and the church, or have you buried them to keep others from expecting too much from you?  

Has your love (for God, your brethren, your neighbour) improved, or grown cold (only words and no deeds)?

Are you better able to discern good from evil (Hebrews 5:14), or has your abhorrence for what is evil faded to a mild dislike and toleration?

Are you growing stronger in clinging to good, or has your clasp loosened and your attention focused elsewhere?

Has your affection for your brethren deepened, or dissipated? Have you sought out their best interests, or are you only seeking after your own?

    These are questions that are good to ask ourselves, often.  Am I fervent in my spirit in serving the Lord, or am I lagging in diligence?

“…not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord…” (Romans 12:11 NKJV)

“…not lagging in diligence…”

    Lagging (Strong’s Greek #3636 ‘okneros’) means slothful, hesitating, sluggish toward spiritual duties. It is a reluctance and an unwillingness to act promptly or with energy.

    Diligence (Strong’s Greek #4710 ‘spoude’) means earnestness, zeal, and effort in fulfilling a task or duty, earnestness in accomplishing or striving after something. Consider 2 Corinthians 7:11-12 (“what diligence… what vehement desire”), 2 Corinthians 8:7 (“abound in all diligence”), Romans 12:8 (“he who leads, with diligence”), and 2 Peter 1:5-11 (“giving all diligence… be even more diligent”).

 “…fervent in spirit…”

    Fervent (Strong’s Greek #2204 ‘zeo’) means to boil, to be hot, have intense passion, eagerness in one’s faith and spiritual life. Apollos was described as being “fervent in spirit” in Acts 18:25; a man who spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord.

    In spirit (Strong’s Greek #4151 ‘pneuma’) means being motivated in or by our spirit; the vital principle in which the body is animated. In other words: be eager in your motivation, have a readiness to obey God (and to respond to another’s need).

    Where are we not to lag in diligence and where are we to be motivated from the very core of our being to do what is needed? In serving the Lord.

    How do we keep ourselves from lagging in diligence and how are we to remain motivated from the very core of our being to do what is needed?  By serving the Lord.

“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him… And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for your serve the Lord Christ.” (Colossians 3:17, 23-24 NKJV)

    Nothing is as fulfilling as doing what God has given us to do – to be a help to others and grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ (2 Peter 3:18). These benefit us mentally/emotionally, physically, and, of course, spiritually; it is the most satisfying way to use our time and abilities!

    Are you serving the Lord with a fervent spirit – motivated to do all that is asked of you? What He asks of us is not too much – it is for our good always (Deuteronomy 6:24-25).

    Are you diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed (2 Timothy 2:15)?

“And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises…. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil...” (Hebrews 6:11-12, 19 NJKV)

    Look to God for motivation – you will find it! His promises are real – trust Him! His word is glorious, life-changing and life-bettering – look to it daily for instruction and for examples of those who lived and served with diligence and fervent spirits; let these motivate you toward doing your part so that you, too, can be an example to those around you of one who does not lag in diligence, but who is fervent in spirit, serving the Lord!  

You can do it! So can I!!

Sing and Make Melody - Let the Beauty of Jesus Be Seen

    This week, we will look at a spiritual song that teaches us as we sing:

"Let the Beauty of Jesus Be Seen"

Written by Albert W T Orsborn (1916) 

Stanzas 2-3 written by George L Johnson (1934)

Let the beauty of Jesus seen in me,

All His wonderful passion and purity.

May His spirit divine all my being refine;

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me.

When somebody has been so unkind to you,

Some word spoken that pierces you through and through,

Think how He was beguiled, spat upon and reviled,

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in you.

From the dawn of the morning to close of day,

In example, in deeds, and in all you say,

Lay your gifts at His feet, ever strive to keep sweet,

Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in you.

    Jesus exemplified the fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We need to walk as He walked (1 John 2:3-6) so that the fruit of the Spirit can be developed in us as well!

    This song, I believe, is based on 1 Peter 2:18-24. I encourage you to read this passage. I will highlight some of the thoughts written there:

    First, Peter speaks of servants submitting to their master, the kind masters and also the harsh. He says in verse 19, "...this is commendable if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully." "...when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God." (v. 20)

    What?? Why??

    Here's why: "For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow His steps." (v.21)

• Jesus committed no sin
• There was no deceit (deception/fraud) found in Jesus' mouth
• When Jesus was reviled (criticized in an angry, abusive, and insulting way), He did not revile in return
• When Jesus suffered, He did not threaten
• Jesus committed Himself to "Him who judges righteously"

    Think about that for a moment. Jesus was in the middle of a trial for His life and saw and heard all the hate-filled lies being said about Him and instead of reacting, He committed Himself to the only One who knew the truth - the One who judges righteously - His Father in heaven.

    Do we trust that God knows the truth? Do we trust that He knows our heart and our clear conscience in a matter when we are being accused of wrong? Do we commit to Him in these situations, knowing He is the righteous judge who sees what man does not/cannot?

    Jesus bore our sins on the cross. Why did He do that? Why did He suffer wrongfully?
Why did He silently allow these things to happen to Him?

    So that we, having died to sins (Romans 6:2-4), might live for righteousness!! It was by Jesus’ suffering/death that we have a hope - that we have healing!!

    How do you live for righteousness?

    You follow Jesus' example!

    Though you may face times of struggle and hurt you do not revile nor spit out angry, abusive, insulting words. You do not threaten - nor even think it in your heart! You trust that God sees and God knows, allowing you to be still. You let the beauty of Jesus be seen in you!

    Pray to the One who judges righteously! Ask Him for wisdom and help to live like Jesus, in the beauty and holiness of humble obedience!

    Meditate on 1 Peter 2:18-14 this week and let this song remind you of Jesus' beautiful example and His desire for you to live for righteousness!!

You can do it! So can I!!

"But God Knows Your Hearts"

“And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.”” (Luke 16:15 NKJV)

    In this passage Jesus was rebuking the Pharisees (religious leaders/teachers) because they loved receiving money and likely sought out ways to gain more of it (see earlier verses, 1-13, in Luke 16). The focus of their hearts had shifted from religion to monetary gain and with that came the temptation to “tweak” the law – a little adjustment here, a wee modification there – to appease people who were willing to pay for a blind eye being turned on their sinful situation.

    The religious world is full of adaptations, modifications, as well as complete disregard of God’s Truth in an effort to appease sinful people who don’t like God’s boundaries and moral rules. How has this come to be? The desire for popularity (“anything to keep ‘em coming through the doors each week”) and for monetary gain (“We need to keep their money in the coffers”) has most likely led the way.  

    These erring religious leaders seek to justify themselves rather than change their focus back to God. Consider televangelist Kenneth Copeland who, back in late 2015, said he needed a luxury private jet to do his job because ‘you can’t “talk to God” while flying commercial.’ Or just a year or so ago, another televangelist, Jesse Duplantis, who tried to justify his need for a fourth private jet, this one with a price tag of $54 million, by stating he needed this addition to his aircraft fleet “to help him efficiently spread the gospel to as many people as possible.”

    We, especially when we know we are wrong but don’t want to change, can and will try most anything to justify ourselves – “I couldn’t help myself”, “I can’t imagine life without it”, “It will help me do ________ better”, “Things happen for a reason, if God didn’t want me to have ________ than He wouldn’t have given it to me.” etc., etc. – especially when we have gained something pleasing to us in the process.

“But God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.”    

    Ponder now, if you will, Proverbs 6:16-19, and the seven things that the Lord hates and considers an abomination:

• A proud look
• A lying tongue
• Hands that shed innocent blood
• A heart that devises wicked plans
• Feet that are swift in running to evil
• A false witness who speaks lies
• One who sows discord among brethren

    Unfortunately, many Pharisees in Jesus’ time would come to be guilty of each of these. The steps leading to this may have felt seemingly innocent to them at first – “a little extra money won’t hurt anyone” – but the main problem was that their shift in focus caused them to look to money and away from God, because you cannot serve both (Luke 16:13).

    Let’s not try to justify ourselves in any of our wants and “needs” – we may fool our friends and even ourselves – but God knows our hearts! Let’s learn to be content with what we have, with what God daily provides (Mathew 6:25-34)! Let us, with grateful hearts, thank Him for our daily bread (Matthew 6:9-13, Ephesians 5:20, 1 Timothy 4:4-5) and appreciate the living bread  - His Word - with which our souls can be nourished with all that is good and truly proper in His sight (Matthew 5:6, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Romans 12:1-2) and let God and His truth be our only focus as we humbly walk the narrow way that leads home (Matthew 7:13-14)!

You can do it! So can I!!