How to Become More Like Jesus

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Isaiah 60:1–62:5 
Philippians 1:27–2:18 
Psalm 72:1-20 
Proverbs 24:11-12

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Phillipians 2:12-13 (ESV) "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for  it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. 

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Every child of God needs to grow. And our growth will not be complete until we are like Jesus. While that will not be completely true of us until we are perfected when we walk through death's door and stand before Him, our aim in this life should be to continually head in that direction.

So how does that happen? How do we become more and more like Jesus as the time passes? Are we supposed to dig in and find the self-discipline to become more like Him? Or do we sit back and wait for God to do the work?

The answer is ... both! It is our job and God's job to make us more like Jesus and our Verses for Today state that clearly.

In verse 12, we are clearly told to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. This refers to the fact that when we were saved, Jesus came to live within us. So that perfection and the complete righteousness that we have within us needs to be "worked out" so that the outside of us more and more resembles the inside of us.

In verse 13, we come to understand that our growth does not originate with us. Any desire, self-discipline, and effectiveness that we have that helps us to become more like Jesus originates with God. 

Let's dig a little deeper for a few moments: Realize that any growth that we have toward Christlikeness is because we put ourselves in a place where God can grow us. 

For instance, someone who wants to develop his muscles begins to lift weights. He may think that lifting weights is what is causing his muscles to grow but he would be wrong. Lifting weights would actually accomplish nothing if his body wasn't responding positively by repairing and building his muscles after each workout. Working out with weights is simply an activity that puts the guy in a place where growth can happen.

That's how it is with us. Reading the Bible doesn't make us more like Jesus. Praying doesn't do it. Silence and solitude doesn't do it. And any other Christian discipline does not grow us in the area of holiness. It simply puts us in a place where God can grow us. They are necessary for growth but, in reality, it is God who grows us, not our activities.

Read your Bible, friend. Pray. Serve. Fast. Worship. Journal. But realize that these Christian activities don't grow you. They simply put you in a place where God can grow you.

So pursue Christlikeness today. Engage in the spiritual disciplines. And realize that it is God who is working in you to help you accomplish that goal. It is you AND God.

When you stumble and fall into sin, simply call out for his forgiveness, receive it, and then join Him again on your route to holiness. Believe me, friend, He is working with you in this. He wants you to be more like His Son. So join Him in becoming more like Jesus.

One last thought: If you want to grow in Christlikeness and want to know how to engage in the spiritual disciplines, I would highly recommend the book, "Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life," by Don Whitney.

You're the only Jesus some will ever see

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Isaiah 45:11–48:11 
Ephesians 4:1-16 
Psalm 68:19-35 
Proverbs 24:3-4

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Ephesians 4:1 (ESV) "I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,"

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Our Verse for Today reminds us that salvation isn't just about where we will spend eternity. It is about how we will spend today.

We aren't simply saved so that we can go to Heaven. If that were true, we'd depart for our eternal home as soon as we trusted in Jesus for eternal life.

But, instead, God leaves us here. We are left to show a lost world what it looks like to follow Jesus. We are left to show how good our God is so that they might also consider following Him.

Yet, all too often, Jesus-followers aren't following Jesus. We need the same instruction and reminder that Paul gave the Ephesian Christians.

Ephesians 4:1 (ESV) "I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,"

Are you walking worthy of your calling? Will you depend upon the Lord today to do so?

Friend, you are the only "Jesus" some will ever see.

"You're the only Jesus
some will ever see
And you're the only words of life,
some will ever read
So let them see in you
the One in whom
is all they'll ever need
'Cause you're the only Jesus,
some will ever see"
("You're the Only Jesus" by the Imperials)

God's love and our tragedies

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Job 1:1–3:26 
1 Corinthians 14:1-17 
Psalm 37:12-29 
Proverbs 21:25-26

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Job 1:8 (NLT) "Then the LORD asked Satan, 'Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.' "

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

In American Christianity, so many that claim that they are opposed to the Health & Wealth Gospel actually believe it. When something good happens to them, they immediately assume that God is blessing them. When something bad happens, they feel like an injustice has occurred. "God, I've been faithfully serving You and this bad thing has happened to me. Why?!"

Fortunately, we have the Bible to correct our erroneous thinking. And if God's Word said nothing else about the subject, the book of Job is sufficient.

The book of Job essentially deals with the topic of suffering in a messed up world. By the end of chapter 1, we read that Job had lost his livelihood and all of his children had been killed.

If that happened to you or me, we would immediately ask the question: "God, what have I done to deserve this?" That question assumes that God will give good things to those who faithfully follow Him and He will allow bad things to come to those who are not following Him. (In other words, the false beliefs of the Health & Wealth Gospel.)

But, all we need to do is read Job 1:8 (and Job 2:3 where God essentially repeats Himself) to see that sin did not bring on Job's tragedy. It wasn't because he was out of favor with God. God wasn't angry at him or disappointed in him.

None of the above things were true. The truth is that God was thoroughly pleased with Job and proud of him!

Job 1:8 (NLT) "Then the LORD asked Satan, 'Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.' "

Essentially, there was a cosmic battle taking place. Satan wanted to demonstrate that God's followers were weak and would quickly abandon Him if their life got tough. God presented Job to Satan as a trophy and as proof that his followers wouldn't quickly abandon Him.

So, Job's horrible troubles weren't because of sin or God's displeasure. No! Job's troubles actually came about ... because God was very pleased with him and proud of him!

Friend, when bad things happen to you, it would be appropriate to do a self-assessment. Ask the Holy Spirit to search your mind and heart to reveal any hidden sins that may have brought on God's discipline (Psalm 139:23-24). 

But, if there is no known sin, then don't continue to assume that the bad thing(s) is evidence of God's displeasure with you. In fact, Job's example reveals that there will be times when God allows troubles into the life of those who are thoroughly pleasing to Him. 

In those times, don't waste your energy questioning Him. Just focus on passing the test. Keep your eyes on Him, strive for wholehearted obedience, and immediately repent of any shortcoming as you receive the grace and forgiveness to get back up and keep on going.

Others are watching!

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Nehemiah 12:27–13:31 
1 Corinthians 11:1-16 
Psalm 35:1-16 
Proverbs 21:17-18

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

1 Corinthians 11:1 (CSB) "Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Our Verse for Today seems presumptuous, doesn't it? Would you feel comfortable telling someone to imitate you as you pursue holiness?

Yet, Paul didn't just say this one time. Look at the following references:

1 Corinthians 4:16 "Therefore I urge you to imitate me."

Philippians 3:17 "Join in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and pay careful attention to those who live according to the example you have in us."

1 Thessalonians 1:6 "and you yourselves became imitators of us and of the Lord when, in spite of severe persecution, you welcomed the message with joy from the Holy Spirit."

2 Thessalonians 3:9 "It is not that we don’t have the right to support, but we did it to make ourselves an example to you so that you would imitate us." 

What are we to make of these instructions as Paul encourages the first century saints to follow his example? Is Paul being arrogant? Of course not! 

What he is essentially saying is: 

People need God's instruction but they also need a 'real life' example to see how those instructions play out. They need someone to illustrate for them exactly what it means to follow Christ in their particular culture and their particular era. So, Paul was saying that while he hadn't arrived at perfection, he was definitely headed in the right direction - toward Christlikeness. So, he encouraged others to join him on the journey as he tried to provide for them a helpful, godly example.

Friend, while it would definitely sound presumptuous for us to encourage others to follow our example, we need to realize that others are watching our example. 

They see how we act. 
They listen to what we say. 
They are trying to assess our motives and attitudes. 
They're watching!

Are you giving them a good example to follow? If not, allow the knowledge that others are watching you to motivate you to take your walk with Jesus much more seriously. Feel the pressure to become more like Jesus.

And maybe, just maybe, when you get to Heaven, others will tell you that they were watching you, had come to realize that you provided for them a godly example, and they were imitating you.

On eating, drinking, and glorifying God

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Nehemiah 11:1–12:26 
1 Corinthians 10:14-33 
Psalm 34:11-22 
Proverbs 21:14-16

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

1 Corinthians 10:31 (CSB) "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

It has been said that a text without a context is only a pretext.

That means that if we rip a verse out of it's context, we can essentially make it say whatever we want it to say and not necessarily what God actually said.

So, when we look at a verse in the Bible, we need to investigate the "neighborhood" in which that verse lives to get a proper understanding of what God is saying.

When we look at 1 Corinthians 10:31, and then look at the verses around it, we realize that the Apostle Paul was talking about a problem that existed in Corinth. It was common practice for meat sacrifices to be offered to the pagan gods. The question on Christ-followers' minds was: "Can I eat meat that was offered to idols?"

Essentially, Paul said that the Christians could eat it if it did not plague their conscience. If they had to silence their conscience while eating it, though, they were sinning. Further, if they ate that meat offered to idols and it didn't bother their conscience, but it offended another Christian who believed that eating the meat was sin, then the first Christian should refrain from eating rather than cause a fellow Christian to stumble.

So, it is in this context that we read our Verse for Today:

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31)

This verse means that everything we do, including eating and drinking, is an opportunity to show others how good our God is. It is also an opportunity for us to demonstrate that God really is in the forefront of our minds in the moments of our days and that we are willing to follow Jesus' example of personal sacrifice on behalf of others. 

This, my friend, demonstrates to the watching world that you take your walk with Jesus seriously. It shows that you aren't a SMO (Sunday Morning Only) but that Jesus is who you follow each day of the week. It shows that you are following His example and are willingly sacrificing your rights for the benefit of others. When others see this, many of them can't help but take note.

And in doing so, you will glorify God. You will show others the goodness and greatness of the God we serve.

A strategy for winning over temptation

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Nehemiah 9:22–10:39 
1 Corinthians 9:19–10:13 
Psalm 34:1-10 
Proverbs 21:13

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

1 Corinthians 10:13 (CSB) "No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide a way out so that you may be able to bear it."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Our Verse for Today is an often misquoted passage. 

Many times, when life gets tough, some Christians will say something humorous like, "I know that God says He won't give me more than I can bear. I just wish He wouldn't trust me so much." In saying this, they assume that 1 Corinthians 10:13 talks about difficulties in life.

Yet, that's not at all what the verse is talking about. Words like difficulties, trials, or anything of the sort do not appear in this verse.

The words that do appear are tempted and temptation. This verse is not addressing the difficulties of life. It is aimed at giving comfort and hope to the person who is being tempted to sin.

In it, God says that no matter how powerful the temptation and how hopeless it may feel to get out of the temptation without sinning, we are assured that God won't allow us to be tempted beyond our ability to pass the test. Further, He will always make sure that we aren't so boxed in by the temptation that we simply must sin. There will always be a way out of the situation in which we can maintain our integrity.

Now, this is easy to write. It is quite another in 'real life.' But, that's where a few principles come into play:

• We must know God's Word so much that we have a very clear sense of what is right and wrong. This means that we must read and study it every single day.
• We must reflect (meditate) on Scripture so that we not only know what it says but that it becomes ingrained in our way of thinking and influences how we see everything in and around us.
• We must have at least one friend who holds us accountable (ask us tough questions and has permission to point out sin in our life when they see it).
• We must have a holy anger at sin so that we have plenty of motivation to avoid it and to choose the high road regardless of the consequences.
• We must learn how to live under the control of the Holy Spirit so that we can be directed by Him in moments of testing.

Friend, Satan sends temptations your way to defeat you on the field of battle. God sends many of those same temptations your way to test you and strengthen you. Satan sends them to harm you. God sends them for your good. How you respond to temptation determines who will accomplish their purposes. 

May we determine to respond to temptations in such a way that God is always glorified (seen to be the good God that He is).

When our worship is displeasing to God

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Ezra 10:1-44 
1 Corinthians 6:1-20 
Psalm 31:9-18 
Proverbs 21:3

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Proverbs 21:3 (CSB) "Doing what is righteous and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

The Old Testament is filled with accounts of animal sacrifices. It's appalling and it should rightfully be so. It was never intended to be a thing of beauty. It was always intended to remind the worshiper of how serious their sin was in God's eyes and that their sin required a death sentence. Yet, it also reminded them that a gracious God made it possible for a substitute to die in the place of the sinful worshiper.

When Jesus, the ultimate and final sacrificial Lamb (John 1:29), came and died for sin once for all, "there is no longer a need for sacrifice" (Hebrews 10:18). In fact, God was so determined to end animal sacrifices that He had the Romans destroy the Jewish temple in A.D. 70.

Yet, when Solomon penned Proverbs 21:3, the practice of slaughtering animals was essential to Jewish life.

"Doing what is righteous and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice." (Proverbs 21:3)

However, did you notice that the LORD places a higher priority on something other than sacrifices? What did He value more? "Doing what is righteous and just."

Essential, Solomon was saying that God values the act of worship (OT sacrifice). Yet, He values much more the act of pursuing holiness (being set apart for Him by complying with His words).

This wasn't the only time God said this. In 1 Samuel, 15:22, God spoke through His prophet Samuel to a sinful King Saul:

"Then Samuel said: 'Does the LORD take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? Look: to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.'" (1 Samuel 15:22)

Again, while God values the act of worship (OT sacrifices), He much more values the actions of obedience and holiness (being set apart for Him).

So, let's end by fast-forwarding to the New Testament in which we live. The principle is the same: God values a life of obedience and holiness much more than our acts of worship.

In fact, if we show up for worship and are going through the motions but realize that there is unconfessed, unresolved sin in our hearts, then we are to immediately stop worshiping, work to resolve the sin situation, and only then can we come back to worship. Otherwise, our worship is utterly distasteful to the Lord.

"So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift." (Matthew 5:23-24)

Friend, God wants you and me to worship Him. He desires that people would worship Him (John 4:23). Yet, our worship is utterly abhorrent to Him if we have unresolved sin in our hearts. 

So, determine to make things right with Him today. And then, offer up your worship to the God you serve and love.

Act like who you are

DAILY BIBLE READING:

2 Chronicles 35:1–36:23 
1 Corinthians 1:1-17 
Psalm 27:1-6 
Proverbs 20:20-21

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

1 Corinthians 1:2 (CSB) " To the church of God at Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called as saints, with all those in every place who call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord ​— ​both their Lord and ours."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Within the human heart is the notion that we must work for what we receive. While there is certainly a segment of society that ungratefully receives (expects) the rest of society to take care of them, most of us find it difficult to receive something that we did not work for.

The reason for this is (healthy?) pride. We want to be self-sufficient. We don't want to be the object of someone's charity and certainly not someone's pity. So, we work for what we receive and it is difficult to receive something freely from others.

But, the message of the Gospel is that we can freely receive the gift of forgiveness, the life of God's Holy Spirit who comes to dwell within us, and an infinite number of other blessings. We cannot earn it or deserve it (Ephesians 2:8-9). We simply receive it as a free gift by faith.

Yet, while many of us would acknowledge that we receive salvation by faith as a free gift (without any effort, works, or contribution on our part), we may feel like we have to work to maintain God's favor. We may feel like God's feelings toward us are based upon how we are performing.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

When you look at our Verse for Today, you see that the Apostle Paul wrote "to those sanctified in Christ Jesus" (past tense) and who were "called to be saints" (past tense). 

Simply put, when those Christians in Corinth trusted in Jesus for eternal life, they were not only forgiven of their sins - they were also declared righteous (see 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:19; etc.). Their sins were placed upon Christ on the cross and the perfect life that Jesus lived was credited to their account. 

This is the Divine Swap that happens at the moment we are saved: Jesus takes our sins and He credits us with His righteousness. Saved people aren't simply forgiven - they are also declared to be perfect saints.

Which brings us back to our Verse for Today. The word "sanctified" is the same word for "holy" or "saint." Christians don't have to die and go to Heaven to be saints. No! Christians ARE saints because Jesus has credited them with his righteousness. When God looks at a Jesus-follower, He sees the righteousness of Christ and He smiles.

So, my friend, while it is true that God desires obedience from us in this life, that obedience is not for the purpose of gaining His favor. Our obedience shouldn't be something we do to try to keep God happy with us. 

Instead, our obedience should be an outflow of who we already are. Since we are declared righteous when we are saved with the righteousness of Jesus, our obedience to God is simply acting like who we already are.

Friend, if you are saved, you ARE a saint. Right now! As you read this! You ARE a saint! You ARE holy! You ARE sanctified! When God looks at you, He sees Jesus and He smiles.

So, today, simply act like who you already are!

"To the church of God at Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called as saints, with all those in every place who call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord - both their Lord and ours." (1 Corinthians 1:2)

Can others see Jesus in you?

DAILY BIBLE READING:

2 Chronicles 33:14–34:33 
Romans 16:10-27 
Psalm 26:1-12 
Proverbs 20:19

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Romans 16:19 (CSB) "The report of your obedience has reached everyone. Therefore I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise about what is good, and yet innocent about what is evil."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

The biblical book of Romans was written to the first century Christians who lived in Rome. And some would say that this book, among the other New Testament books, is like the snow-capped peak of a mountain that rewards the one who climbs it with exhilarating views. There is so much to be enjoyed in this incredible letter to those early Christians.

Our Verse for Today reveals that as the Apostle Paul was ending his epistle to the Roman Christians, he bragged on them. He told them that not only had they been obedient to the things of God, it had also become public knowledge. People were taking note of the fact that they were devout Jesus-followers.

Certain things happen when a Christian is serious about following Jesus:

• It emboldens weak Christians.
• It provides an example for baby Christians.
• It creates unity and camaraderie with mature Christians.
• It demonstrates for the lost world that Jesus makes a visible difference in those who follow Him (and so it gives credibility to those who share the Gospel).
• Etc., etc., etc.

Friend, can others see Jesus in you? 

I didn't ask if they know you are saved. I asked if you are so serious about following Him that you are taking obedience to His Word seriously. 

Only then will believers around you take note and be encouraged. Only then will unbelievers around you take note and realize that there just might be something to Jesus and the Gospel.

Live in such a way that others might one day be able to say about you:

"The report of your obedience has reached everyone. Therefore I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise about what is good, and yet innocent about what is evil." (Romans 16:19 - CSB)

Rewards for Seeking God

DAILY BIBLE READING:

2 Chronicles 30:1–31:21 
Romans 15:1-22 
Psalm 25:1-15 
Proverbs 20:13-15

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

2 Chronicles 31:21 (NLT) "In all that he did in the service of the Temple of God and in his efforts to follow God’s laws and commands, Hezekiah sought his God wholeheartedly. As a result, he was very successful."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

We love verses like our Verse for Today, don't we? It tells us that if we do a certain thing, then there is a reward of some kind to be enjoyed. In this particular case, it tells us that King Hezekiah "sought his God wholeheartedly" and God made him successful.

However, this is a general rule. While it applies much of the time (maybe most of the time), it does not apply all of the time.

After all, Job was a man, according to God's assessment, that was blameless and was more impressive than anyone else on the earth at the time (Job 1:8). Yet, tragedy was soon to strike.

Also, William Carey was a pioneer missionary on fire for the Lord. Yet it took him seven long, laborious years before he saw his first convert in India.

So, the general rule is that God will bless us and prosper us when we wholeheartedly serve Him and seek Him. Yet, it's not a guarantee that things will go wonderfully well for us. It may be that God wants to test us and grow us and so He will send trials our way. But, even those are intended for our good.

With that being the case, why not decide to join in on the adventure beginning right now. Determine in your heart, right now, to seek God wholeheartedly. That means that you are passionately pursuing holiness (complying with the commands of Scripture to become more like Jesus, repenting of any shortcomings) and submitting to His authority over your life. See what God does!

Taking a Spiritual Bath

DAILY BIBLE READING:

2 Chronicles 14:1–16:14 
Romans 9:1-24 
Psalm 19:1-14 
Proverbs 20:1

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Psalm 19:12-14 (CSB)

12 "Who perceives his unintentional sins? Cleanse me from my hidden faults." 

13 "Moreover, keep your servant from willful sins; do not let them rule me. Then I will be blameless and cleansed from blatant rebellion." 

14 "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, Lord, my rock and my Redeemer."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

The Christian life is one of compliance and of joy. 

It is compliance because God has made His standard clear and we are called to obey.

It is joy because we realize that as we obey our Lord, our consciences will be clear and we are free to enjoy fellowship with our God.

But, sin stands in the way. There is a hidden part of us that wars against us. It's called "the flesh." And it regularly calls us to stray from the path of holiness that God has called us to walk upon.

So, it must also be the regularly duty of the serious Jesus-follower to take a spiritual bath. We need to get cleaned up after we sin and so confession and repentance are necessary.

Our Verses for Today lead us in that discipline. In fact, they provide us with the words of a prayer that we could offer up regularly.

First, our spiritual cleansing begins with an acknowledgement that we have probably committed sins without even knowing it. Maybe we are unaware of some command God has given or we weren't paying attention to what we did. So, we ask for forgiveness for our unintended sins:

Psalm 19:12 "Who perceives his unintentional sins? Cleanse me from my hidden faults."

Second, we acknowledge that there are certainly things we have done (or left undone) that violated God's commands. Or, maybe we did a good thing but with the wrong motive or attitude. So, we confess these sins specifically and ask that God would keep us from doing them in the future. 

Psalm 19:13 "Moreover, keep your servant from willful sins; do not let them rule me. Then I will be blameless and cleansed from blatant rebellion." 

Finally, we ask that the Lord would give us what we need to not only comply with God's commands with our actions, but also with our words and the private thoughts of our heart. We don't just ask for forgiveness - we crave to live in holiness.

Psalm 19:14 "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, Lord, my rock and my Redeemer."

So, the question remains, friend: Are you serious about following Jesus? Have you genuinely given your life, all of it, to Him and is it your desire to live for him in the moments of your days?

Then, you've got to take daily, spiritual baths. Consider using Psalm 19:12-14 to do that.

The need of pursuing holiness

DAILY BIBLE READING:

1 Chronicles 16:37–18:17 
Romans 2:1-24 
Psalm 10:16-18 
Proverbs 19:8-9

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Romans 2:22-24 (CSB) "You who say, 'You must not commit adultery' ​— ​do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob their temples? You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? For, as it is written: The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Our Verses for Today are negative ... but necessary.

As Romans 2:22-24 states, too often our words are biblical but our actions don't follow suite. We talk like Christians but we act like people of the world.

For example, we say we should love our enemies but often simply ignore them and try to keep the animosity in our hearts from showing.

We say we should share the Gospel and yet an overwhelming majority of Christians will never ... ever ... share their faith.

We say Jesus has called Christians to purity ... and yet many Christians watch movies with filth or laugh at dirty jokes around the cooler at work.

What do our Verses for Today tell us the lost world thinks of this? They blaspheme the name of God. They see the hypocrisy and come to believe that God doesn't make a difference in people's lives and many unbelievers wonder if God even exists at all.

Friends, if we claim to follow Jesus, then we must do it. The lost world knows quite a bit about Christianity and they know many of the standards we are to live by. And they are watching us to see if we live according to those standards.

So, take your pursuit of holiness seriously. People are watching. And where they spend eternity hangs in the balance.

Responding to correction

DAILY BIBLE READING:

2 Kings 4:18–5:27 

Acts 15:1-35 

Psalm 141:1-10 

Proverbs 17:23

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Psalm 141:5 (CSV) "Let the righteous one strike me - it is an act of faithful love; let him rebuke me - it is oil for my head; let me not refuse it. Even now my prayer is against the evil acts of the wicked."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Our Verse for Today can only be understood and appreciated by someone who genuinely wants to pursue holiness. All others will simply pass over it and not give it a second thought.

This verse is powerful. The Psalmist is saying that even though it would be painful to his pride, he recognizes that being rebuked is actually an act of love. He wants those painful words!

Why? 

Because the Psalmist realized that if someone truly loved him and desired for him to live in such a way that his actions would be pleasing to the Lord, then he needed them to point out his sins. Sometimes, his sinful heart may not acknowledge the sin. Other times, he may not even be aware of the sin. So, he needed those who loved him to point them out.

And rather than resisting this potentially painful experience, he longed for it. He wanted to live in such a way that his actions pleased the Lord and he needed others to help him grow in holiness.

So, friend, how do you respond to correction? Do you resist it? Do you get angry? Do you sever relationships when someone is painfully honest with you?

Or do you desire for others to point out your weak spots so you can address that area of your life?

Friend, we need each other. If we truly love each other and desire holiness, we need to love each other enough to point out areas of concern in each other so we can grow in holiness.

Application:

- Ask God to grow your desire for holiness.

- Give others permission to point out sin in your life.

- When you are corrected, listen and then pray about what God is saying.

- If necessary, point out areas of sin in those around you but make sure that you are doing so because you love that person.

Returning to holiness

DAILY BIBLE READING:

2 Kings 1:1–2:25 
Acts 13:42–14:7 
Psalm 139:1-24 
Proverbs 17:19-21

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Psalm 139:23-24 (CSB) "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Psalm 139 is a wonderful Psalm for quite a few reasons. Let me share two.

First, there are three "omni's" that speak of God's immensity:

Omniscient = God knows all things completely.
Omnipresent = God is completely everywhere at all times.
Omnipotent = God can do anything God wants to do.

So, when we look at the structure of Psalm 139, we realize that it can easily be divided into three sections. Further, each of these sections align with one of the "omni's" of God.

Psalm 139:1-6 = Omniscience of God
Psalm 139:7-12 = Omnipresence of God
Psalm 139:13-16 = Omnipotence of God

It is significant that the Holy Spirit led the Psalmist to illustrate these three attributes of God in relationship to him. God is omniscient (He knew everything about David); God is omnipresent (no matter where David went, God would be there); God is omnipotent (God was actively working to form David when he was en utero).

The remainder of the Psalm speaks of the Psalmist's amazement that such an incredible, infinite God would care so much for him (Psalm 136:17-18). He further asked that his infinite God would pronounce judgement on those who hate Him (Psalm 136:19-22). And finally, he asks that his infinite God would assist him in his desire to be holy and set apart for God (Psalm 136:23-24).

This final section is what I have chosen for our Verses for Today. Psalm 136:23-24 can be a wonderful prayer that we offer up to God if we want to do a thorough "spring cleaning" in our heart. 

Oftentimes, unconfessed sin can be forgotten and therefore never resolved. There can also be sin patterns in our hearts that we don't even notice. These scenarios and more will keep us from enjoying our God.

So, consider praying the words of Psalm 136:23-24 from your heart for the next few days and listen intently to what God may reveal. If there is some sin that you become aware of, completely confess and repent (turn away from it).

Our infinite God and Father wants us to live in such a way that we are not burdened down with guilt (legal and experiential). He also wants us to reflect His glory to others (show others by our lifestyle how good He is). The only way He can do this is if we are clean in His sight.

So, let the words of our Verses for Today be what God uses to begin the cleaning process.

Psalm 139:23-24 "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way."