From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] daily devotional
Evening...
Luke 22:46
Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.
When is the Christian most liable to sleep? Is it not when his temporal
circumstances are prosperous? Have you not found it so? When you had daily
troubles to take to the throne of grace, were you not more wakeful than you are
now? Easy roads make sleepy travellers. Another dangerous time is when all goes
pleasantly in spiritual matters. Christian went not to sleep when lions were in
the way, or when he was wading through the river, or when fighting with
Apollyon, but when he had climbed half way up the Hill Difficulty, and came to
a delightful arbour, he sat down, and forthwith fell asleep, to his great
sorrow and loss. The enchanted ground is a place of balmy breezes, laden with
fragrant odours and soft influences, all tending to lull pilgrims to sleep.
Remember Bunyan's description: "Then they came to an arbour, warm, and
promising much refreshing to the weary pilgrims; for it was finely wrought
above head, beautified with greens, and furnished with benches and settles. It
had also in it a soft couch, where the weary might lean." "The arbour was
called the Slothful's Friend, and was made on purpose to allure, if it might
be, some of the pilgrims to take up their rest there when weary." Depend upon
it, it is in easy places that men shut their eyes and wander into the dreamy
land of forgetfulness. Old Erskine wisely remarked, "I like a roaring devil
better than a sleeping devil." There is no temptation half so dangerous as not
being tempted. The distressed soul does not sleep; it is after we enter into
peaceful confidence and full assurance that we are in danger of slumbering. The
disciples fell asleep after they had seen Jesus transfigured on the mountain
top. Take heed, joyous Christian, good frames are near neighbours to
temptations: be as happy as you will, only be watchful.
Acts 24:14
(14) But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call
heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are
written in the law and in the prophets:
Paul is on trial before Felix, the governor. "They" refers to the Jews.
Paul says, "I confess," as he is giving testimony. He is a witness before a
court, as he is on trial. "The way" is Christianity, which the Jews call a
heresy.
"Believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets"
is really an astounding statement in light of what has gone on in Protestantism
over the past few hundred years. The very man whom they say wrote most clearly
and lucidly that "the law is done away" is the one who says he believes all
things that are written in the Law and the Prophets. There is absolutely
nothing in the Law and the Prophets that says anything at all about the doing
away with God's law! Paul did not have the same position in relation to the law
as modern theologians do.
One might think that maybe this was said before Paul wrote that the law
was done away. Oh, no. The two books that contain most of what Protestants
quote as their authority for doing away with the law are the books of Romans
and Galatians. This instance in which Paul was on trial before Felix took place
in either AD 58 or 59, most like the latter.
In either case, the book of Romans and the book of Galatians had both
already been written. Both were being circulated through the church. All those
doctrinal explanations were written prior to Paul's statement before Felix, yet
Paul is still saying, "I believe all things that are written in the Law and the
Prophets." Obviously, the common Protestant interpretation of Romans and
Galatians is incorrect.
Certainly, salvation is by grace, but salvation in no way, of and by
itself, does away with any of the law of God. Salvation is something that must
be given. First of all, God's justice demands that there be a penalty for sin.
Since His justice demands that the law be satisfied-that His own government be
satisfied for crimes against it-He must follow through. He cannot wink at
disagreements in a person's conduct against His rulership over His creation.
Secondly, once one of His laws has been broken, there is no way it can be
undone. It has to be accepted according to what was done. Consider two simple
examples of this:
If somebody is murdered, can that be undone? His life is gone. He is
lying on the ground, dead. What is done is done. A person cannot resurrect him.
The clock cannot be turned back. Nothing can be done to undo that act, unless
there is a a power mightier than we are. So the law is broken. Another clear
illustration might be a person's virginity. Once the virginity is taken away,
or given away, it cannot be undone. The clock cannot be turned back. It is
gone, never ever to be recovered.
The same is true with any act done, even when we are not considering law.
However, we are considering law here, so we have to understand that it is God
who has provided a solution for the breaking of law. What He has determined is
to allow the death of Jesus Christ to pay the penalty, and then, in His mercy
(called "grace" in the Bible), He will freely give the sinner relief from the
penalty hanging over his head. We cannot make up for what has been done in the
past. It can only be covered by a perfect sacrifice and God's willingness to
accept that sacrifice.
If one studies the New Testament, and especially the writings of Paul, it
is good to examine carefully the context in which the word "law" appears. Paul
uses it very broadly. In fact, he uses the word "law" 110 times. Sometimes, he
uses it to indicate a single law. At other times, he uses it to indicate the
Mosaic law. There are other times when he uses it to indicate the Pentateuch,
the first five books of the Bible. Yet at other times it refers only to the Ten
Commandments.
A couple of interesting references are in Romans 2, where he uses "law"
to indicate the will of God written in the hearts of Gentiles. Why Gentiles?
Because they had not been given the law by God, yet he says they did the things
contained within the law by nature. What it amounts to, in modern terminology,
would be that he uses "law" in the sense of "natural law," that it is a
standard that people consider to be in force without having been formally
instructed by it. This became an issue, incidentally, in the confirmation of
Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court of the United States, because he professed
to the Senate Judiciary Committee that he believed in natural law. The liberals
on the Committee did not like that at all, because liberals like to be free of
the constraints of natural law; they do not feel responsible then.
Another way Paul uses the word "law" is as if God Himself were speaking.
He does not use the name or title of God, but the term "law," as in Romans
3:19. At times, Paul appears to contradict himself when he uses the word "law."
In one place, he says, "Yea, we establish the law," but in another, he says,
"Yea, we abolish the law." He uses it in the sense of it being both necessary
and unnecessary. If one is careful, he will begin to become adept at figuring
out how Paul uses it.
Paul's use of "law" appears in two general categories. If the subject of
the context has to do with justification, then it is likely he will use a "no
law" approach. That is both logical and right: No man can justify himself. All
the lawkeeping in the world will not undo that murder or the loss of virginity.
We cannot justify ourselves by what we do after we have broken a law. We cannot
make up for it.
However, if the subject is sanctification-which has to do with a person's
conduct, with right living, with discipline or character building-then Paul
will say the law is valuable and necessary. It must be kept.
If we will just keep our eyes on the context, it will help us greatly to
understand how Paul uses "law."
John W. Ritenbaugh
From The Covenants, Grace and Law (Part 17)
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daily devotional
Evening...
Ecclesiastes 1:7
All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from
whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
Everything sublunary is on the move, time knows nothing of rest. The solid
earth is a rolling ball, and the great sun himself a star obediently fulfilling
its course around some greater luminary. Tides move the sea, winds l stir the
airy ocean, friction wears the rock: change and death rule everywhere. The sea
is not a miser's storehouse for a wealth of waters, for as by one force the
waters flow into it, by another they are lifted from it. Men are born but to
die: everything is hurry, worry, and vexation of spirit. Friend of the
unchanging Jesus, what a joy it is to reflect upon thy changeless heritage; thy
sea of bliss which will be for ever full, since God Himself shall pour eternal
rivers of pleasure into it. We seek an abiding city beyond the skies, and we
shall not be disappointed. The passage before us may well teach us gratitude.
Father Ocean is a great receiver, but he is a generous distributor. What the
rivers bring him he returns to the ! earth in the form of clouds and rain. That
man is out of joint with the universe who takes all but makes no return. To
give to others is but sowing seed for ourselves. He who is so good a steward as
to be willing to use his substance for his Lord, shall be entrusted with more.
Friend of Jesus, art thou rendering to Him according to the benefit received?
Much has been given thee, what is thy fruit? Hast thou done all? Canst thou not
do more? To be selfish is to be wicked. Suppose the ocean gave up none of its
watery treasure, it would bring ruin upon our race. God forbid that any of us
should follow the ungenerous and destructive policy of living unto ourselves.
Jesus pleased not Himself. All fulness dwells in Him, but of His fulness have
all we received. O for Jesu's spirit, that henceforth we may live not unto
ourselves!
Ephesians 5:15-20
(15) See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, (16)
Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. (17) Wherefore be ye not unwise,
but understanding what the will of the Lord is. (18) And be not drunk with
wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; (19) Speaking to
yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody
in your heart to the Lord; (20) Giving thanks always for all things unto God
and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
" Joy" does not appear in this passage, but Paul's purpose is to instruct
us how to produce the sustained sense of well-being that should mark a
Christian's life. When a person feels good about life, about who and what he
is, what he is doing with his life, and where it is headed, a sense of joy is
always present. Paul's instructions are timeless in producing this.
"Walk circumspectly" indicates keeping the commandments. Paul advises us
to make the most profitable use of our time, considering the state of this
world. He warns us not to be foolish, and always to consider, search for, and
focus upon the purpose God is working out. Then in verse 18 he makes an
interesting contrast that directly involves producing the joy that should
accompany the life of anyone heeding these instructions.
The verse contains a play on words. It is no accident that alcohol is
associated with "Spirit." Paul's counsel is not to seek joy in the sensuous,
self-centered, worldly ways that produce dissipation or debauchery, but rather
to be filled with the Spirit, singing and meditating on God's Word as we give
thanks in all circumstances. This formula is guaranteed to produce a sustained
sense of well-being because it removes the natural self-seeking from our lives
and replaces it with a God-centered way of glorifying Him. This allows joy to
be the fruit, the blessing of the Almighty, rather than the direct object of
our pursuit.
John W. Ritenbaugh
From The Fruit of the Spirit: Joy
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