Tag: good

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Matthew Devotionals

Why Jesus came

Matthew

As I was reading this passage today, I saw it in a slightly different way.

This man comes to Jesus and says, “What good must I do to have eternal life?”

Jesus answered, “Why do you ask me about what is good. There is only one who is good.”

What was Jesus’ point in saying that?

One point he was making is that only one person is truly qualified to be called “good,” and that’s God.

This makes your view of Jesus very important. If he is not truly God, you cannot say Jesus is truly good.

But more than that, perhaps what Jesus was saying was this: “You think it’s possible for you to become good? There is only One that can make the claim to be good. Do you really think you can become the second person who can make that claim?”

Jesus then challenges the man to keep the commandments if he thinks himself truly good. Amazingly, the man claims to have kept all of them. And yet, he still detects there is something lacking.

And so Jesus challenges him with the two most important commandments: to love his neighbor (sell all he has and give to the poor), and to love God (follow Jesus).

At this, the man walks away sadly because he was not willing to part with his riches.

Jesus’ words, like a double-edged sword pierced the man’s soul and showed him the truth that was there: that he was not as good as he had thought he was.

Why did Jesus come?

Unlike what the man may have thought, Jesus didn’t come simply to teach the commandments of God. If the commandments were all we needed to be saved, there would have been no need for the cross.

Rather Jesus came for one important reason: with man, woman, and child, salvation is impossible. We are all sinners. We all fall short of God’s goodness.

But with God, salvation is possible for us all, sinners though we are.

Jesus perfectly kept the law we were unable to keep. And then he paid the price for our sin on the cross.

Still, it seems Peter missed the point Jesus was making. Peter asked, “What about us? Look at what we have done for you.”

But if salvation were based on what we did for God, we’d all be doomed. Our salvation is based on what Jesus did. Peter would learn that later. (I Peter 1:1-5)

How about you? Do you think yourself good? Only one is good. And if you think you’re the second person who make that claim, you’re deceiving yourself. We all need a Savior. And that’s why Jesus came.

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Psalms Devotionals

In a world where wrong is called right

Psalms

We live in a world now where wrong is called right.

Where people think the greatest happiness is in living as they desire.

Where things that were once called sinful are now celebrated.

The scary thing is that many in the church are falling into that trap.

But look at the attitude of David.

How happy are those whose way is blameless,
who walk according to the LORD’s instruction!

Happy are those who keep his decrees
and seek him with all their heart. (Psalm 119:1-2)

David doesn’t say, “Happy are those who live as they wish (just so long as they’re not hurting anyone else).”

He says, “Happy are those whose ways is blameless.”

What is his definition of blameless?

It’s those who walk according to the Lord’s instruction. Who seek the Lord with all their heart.

And there is no way to separate “seeking the Lord with all your heart” from keeping his decrees.

Many people say, “I love the Lord!” But when it comes to keeping his word, they say, “Well, that part is not relevant to me.”

To be sure, there are commandments in the Old Testament that are not directly relevant to us in that Jesus and the apostles specifically tell us they are not (Mark 7:14-19, Colossians 2:16-17, Hebrews 9-10 are some examples).

Even in the Old Testament itself, God would sometimes say, “this is unclean for you.” Not, “This is unclean or sinful.” But “This is unclean…for you.” (See Leviticus 11).

The implication being that it was okay for other nations, but not for the Israelites.

God gave the Israelites certain commandments that they were to keep as a sign that they were different from other peoples, as a sign that God was separating the Israelites for himself.

But there were things that God clearly said were evil for all people. (See Leviticus 18).

But when many people say, “That part is not relevant to me,” they don’t mean what I’ve just laid out.

They mean, “I don’t agree with God’s word, and so I’m just going to live how I want.”

And they (and unfortunately their churches) follow the wave the culture is on.

But look at what David said.

How can a young man keep his way pure? (Psalm 119:9a)

How? By following the cultural wave? No.

By keeping your word. (9b)

More than that, David treasured God’s word (11).

David proclaimed God’s word (13).

David rejoiced in God’s word (14).

David meditated on God’s word (15).

David delighted on God’s word (16).

How about you? Is that your attitude toward God’s word?

If it isn’t, you need to take a close look at whether you truly are a Christian or not.

How do you see God’s word?

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1 Timothy

Seared consciences

1 Timothy

We live in a world where people no longer seem to know what good or evil is. Things that are evil, they call good. Things that are good, they call evil.

Why? What has happened to us?

The problem is not new. It was present even in the time of Paul. And here he pinpoints what the problem is.

He wrote to Timothy,

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.

Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.

They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.

For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. (1 Timothy 4:1-6)

Paul warns Timothy that the days would come when people would abandon the faith and follow the teachings of demons.

And one of the hallmarks of this teaching is an inability to distinguish good from evil. Why do people fall for this kind of teaching?

Because their consciences have been seared. Their consciences have been so badly damaged, they can no longer distinguish good from evil.

The people in Paul’s day were taking things that God called good (marriage, food, etc) and calling them evil.

On the other hand, they were stirring up all these myths and controversies that were dividing the church and taking them away from the true gospel, and calling them good.

The issues are different today, but the problem is the same. Because of people’s seared consciences, they call what is evil, good, and what is good, evil.

And so Paul told Timothy, “You need to tell your people the truth that you have been taught since you were young. Don’t let them be deceived by these false teachers. Don’t let your people’s consciences becomes seared as these false teachers’ consciences have become.”

For pastors and teachers in the church, Paul’s charge remains the same.

Don’t compromise on the truth of God’s word. Though our culture may push us to change what God has said, don’t let them. For in giving into our culture, we give in to the doctrine of demons.

And for you in the church, immerse yourself in the word of God. Let His word be your standard, not our culture, lest your conscience become seared as well.

How about you? Are you finding yourself trying to explain away scripture to fall in line with the world?

Don’t let your conscience be seared by the teachings of demons. Let us hold to the truth of God’s word, forever calling good, good, and  evil, evil.

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Ezekiel

Whitewashing the truth

Ezekiel

“Do I really need to share the gospel with my grandma? Sure, she’s not a Christian, but she’s a really nice person. Surely God will accept her.”

How often do we hear Christians say this? Or maybe they won’t say it, but they think it. And so they never share the gospel with their loved ones.

Even among some Christian “ministers,” they preach universalism—that eventually, everybody will be in heaven. Forget hell. Just preach God’s love.

But when we do that, we whitewash the truth. And God hates that.

In fact, in this passage, he drills the so-called prophets for doing exactly that. He told them,

You have not gone up to the breaks in the wall to repair it for the house of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the Lord. (Ezekiel 13:5)

Later he said of them,

They lead my people astray, saying, “Peace,” when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash, therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall.

Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones hurtling down, and violent winds will burst forth.

When the wall collapses, will people not ask you, “Where is the whitewash you covered it with?” (Ezekiel 13:10–12)

What were these prophets doing?

They were saying to the Israelites, “You’re cool with God. Don’t worry about his judgment. You’re fine.”

And though they could see that the Israelites were a tottering wall because of their sin, instead of preaching repentance so that the wall could be stabilized and strengthened, they merely whitewashed it with words of peace.

The result? Judgment. Exile. And death.

And the same thing will happen to those we love if we whitewash the sins in their lives. If we say to them, “Peace,” when they have no peace with God.

Let us never whitewash the truth.

Let us be honest with those who are separated from God and in danger of judgment and call them to repentance.

For only then will they find true life.