Tag: Righteousness

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Isaiah- Week 9- Day 4

On By Ben JenningsIn DevotionalLeave a comment

Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness: I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.

Isaiah 46:12-13

Explanation:
Now God calls on his audience, his people to “Hearken.” It is as if he is saying, “listen up” or “pay attention.” It is not as if what he has already been saying isn’t important already. Now by calling their attention we realize the importance and value to which He is ascribing what He is about to say.
He calls these people that he is referring to “stout-hearted” as it is translated here. Some translate it as stubborn-hearted. Others as “mighty in heart.” No matter how it is translated, they are referred to as people who are “far from righteousness.” This is the problem for those who need salvation. We are unrighteous. The Bible refers to this problem in Isaiah 64:6:

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Isaiah 64:6

How can someone who is already unrighteous get righteousness? The only way is to give an “alien righteousness” as it has been referred to, and to credit that alien righteousness to those who are unrighteous. This is what God says He will do! “I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry.” To bring the unrighteous righteousness is to bring them salvation. How will he do this? He says, “I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.”

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

Romans 11:25-27

We know that God will do this in the person of Jesus Christ. He was crucified in Zion. He became sin, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” One day Israel will also see their salvation realized when this same Jesus rules and reigns in Jerusalem.

God should be prioritized in worship because He is the only One who can save. Idols can not save. Idols have no power of plan for salvation!

Application:
The application here is very straightforward. Do you know for sure that you are saved? This passage is speaking of salvation for Israel. The truth is that through Israel God planned to bring salvation to the whole world. If you do not know that your sin has been forgiven, and that you have been made righteous, we want you to know that not only is this your greatest need, it is also available. God loves you so much that He sent Christ to live a perfect life, and then to die as your substitute on the cross. Romans 10:9-13 says this:

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Romans 10:9-13

For those who know Christ as Savior, are you prioritizing Him in your life. He has saved you. The reasonable response of our lives is worship and obedience.

Response:
• Are you saved? If you are not today is the day of salvation. Contact me below!
• If you are saved, are you prioritizing God in your life? Leave the idols behind and prioritize God!

Galatians Day 10- Father Abraham had many sons…

On By Ben JenningsIn DevotionalLeave a comment

Father_AbrahamIf you didn’t grow up in church or have never worked in Children’s ministry in the last 50 years or so, then you won’t get what I’m about to ask. Have you ever wondered why Father Abraham had many sons, why many sons had Father Abraham? Have you ever wondered why you are one of them, and so am I? Oh well, Let’s just praise the Lord. Seriously though, does the Bible say that you and I are Abraham’s children? I’m not Jewish. How can that be? Check out today’s verses…

Galatians 3:6-9

Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. (7) Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. (8) And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. (9) So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

In verses 1-5 Paul appeals to the Galatians experience to help them understand that they are not made right with God by works but by faith. In today’s verses Paul appeals to scripture. The Legalists that were misleading the Galatians were misinterpreting the old testament using Abraham as an example. So Paul goes right to the Old Testament and talks about Abraham. He quotes Genesis 15:6, where Moses said that Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. The word translated “accounted” means to put into ones account, to impute. The idea is that it wasn’t Abraham’s works that made his account with God balance. It was Abraham’s faith in God that God noticed and to which God responded. Paul goes on to say that in God’s way of thinking it is not being in the lineage of Abraham physically that matters to God. When someone gets right with God the way that Abraham did, by faith, they are blessed in Abraham.

Application:

  • We all have to be made right with God.
  • The two options we have are to try to be right with God by doing things, or by believing God.
  • God has made it clear that we are made right with Him by believing Him. We are made right with God by Faith. That is good news because anyone can have faith. We all put our faith in something.
  • If you’ve never put your faith for your salvation in Jesus Christ, I have to tell you what the Bible says– that’s the only shot you have at being right with God.
  • If you have put your faith in Christ, how about taking a moment today to thank God for this incredible gift?!

You’re Welcome.

Galatians Day 9- It’s All God

On By Ben JenningsIn DevotionalLeave a comment

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If someone gave you a $100,000,000 home, ranch and estate that would be great right? With a gift like that though comes some responsibility. It takes a lot of money to maintain an estate that large. The person that had the means to give you that estate would have to also help you maintain it as well.

That is a poor illustration of what salvation is like. The most incredible and extravagant gift that we can be given is the gift of salvation. “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God!” We can’t earn earn our salvation on our own, nor could we keep it our own. He has to give us the power to please Him and glorify Him as well.

Paul began churches in Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. As a church planting missionary he had seen people in these cities come to faith in Christ, experience Holy Spirit lead life change in incredible ways. So when Paul gets to chapter 3 of the book of Galatians he begins to remind the Galatians about how they came to faith in Christ. He uses very strong language because the situation is so dire. They are believing things that change the gospel!

1    O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

Do you not remember what you believed about the death of Jesus? Why would Jesus have to die if you could get right with God on your own?

2    This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?3    Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?4    Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

Paul calls them to answer this question- If you were Saved by faith, why do you think you have to continue to be saved and grow in God by works? You didn’t do anything to earn your salvation. Why do you think you must do something to keep your salvation?

5    He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

Does God respond with good things to our faith or to our works? What is the answer? The hearing of faith!

So how do we apply this text?:

-We don’t just need God for salvation. We need Him for life!
When was the last time you believed that God will give you the victory over sin in your life? When was the last time you asked Him to help you fight sin and believed that he would?

-We need to be grateful for God’s grace, in spite of our sin, in response to our faith.
Thank God for His grace today.