HOLINESS, NOT HAPPINESS

Contrary to popular opinion, God's greatest wish is NOT our happiness, it's our HOLINESS.  Jesus didn't die to make us happy, He died to make us holy.  He didn't forgive us so we could be free of guilty feelings, He forgave us so we would be free of the penalty for our sin - eternal separation from our righteous Creator. 

A change in our lifestyle, interests, and pursuits is in order.  Before salvation, we lived for ourselves, we did ungodly things, and we were unholy in our thoughts and our deeds.  We had no hope of being able to do or think rightly, godly, and purely.  But God, in His mercy, sent Jesus to pay our penalty on the Cross of Calvary.  God in His grace, offers this truth to all men, that those who receive salvation through Jesus Christ will learn to deny the ungodliness and worldly lusts and live for the godly, rightous, and pure ways of God.  There really IS a way out of much of the pain of living in this world - and it is by living for Jesus rather than self!

Titus 2:11-14 (KJV) ¹¹  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, ¹²  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; ¹³  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; ¹⁴  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

This means that the drug addicted, sex addicted, homosexual, rapist, murdering, abortionist, lying, stealing, bitter, lonely, drunken, judgmental, angry, hopeless, fearful, gluttonous, deviant persons in this world have hopes of being made pure and right with God forever.  The salvation that Jesus brings is a salvation from all these things, not a means of gaining happiness through them, or an excuse to continue. 

But before you try to reform yourself to obtain that salvation, you'd better think again.  It is not in the deed that the sin resides.  It is in the desire!  That means that you'll need to be made into someone you aren't!  And that is exactly what the grace of God is when applied to your life.  God makes you a new creature in Christ Jesus - complete with new desires, abilities, and purpose in life. 

2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Suddenly, happiness is intertwined with holiness.  What will now make you happy is that God has made you holy!  And you will work alongside the Lord to grow in holiness.

Are you saved?  Is living for Jesus an act of gratitude for His grace to you by making you perfectly holy in God's sight (Your position in Christ)?  Are you living a more holy life today than you were yesterday (Your practice in Christ)? 

If not, will you take a moment and repent of your sins, and seek the Lord's grace of forgiveness and ask Him to make you new today?  Give yourself to Him, let Him teach you what is sin, and purify you from it - for the rest of your life.  You will not be disappointed when holiness is your aim.

That is Just A Thought for today.  May the Lord bless you and keep you as you practice these things.

"I Don't Take Charity"

We live in a society that either gives or takes. There are those who are proud of their role as "taxpayer." These are the givers. Then there are those who seem bent on living on welfare. These are the takers. Both have a bit of an attitude imbalance. The givers won't take charity, and the takers won't give charity. When it comes to charity, there is a time to give and a time to take.

Two passages come to mind on this topic. The first is really a definition of charity. The second is the principle of giving and receiving. God, in His all-knowing and all-powerful position, gives and takes charity. We should follow His example.

First - the definition of charity - 1Corinthians 13:1-8.

Charity is "love" - unconditional love. It is not a feeling, it is a verb (something we do). It is essential in all our ministry and activities. Giving to others without actually loving them is meaningless philanthropy. We must understand that in both giving and taking charity, it is giving and taking love. Who would refuse to receive love? Who is wise who withholds love?

Second - the principle of giving and receiving - Acts 20:35 (It is more blessed to give than to receive)

We must not compete for the position of most blessed. God intends for us to be givers, yes. But with every gift given, there is also a gift received. When charity is the gift, we must also see that charity is received. I submit to you that even in receiving charity you give charity.

Consider this for a moment: when you let someone give to you, you allow them the most blessed position - a gift indeed! When you refuse their gift of charity, you refuse them the position of being most blessed. You deny them a chance to be blessed. You steal from them their opportunity of giving; and in so doing, you may very well be denying God His wonderful gift to you through that person.

Don't be one who is so self-sufficient that you cannot receive charity. Don't be one so insufficient that you cannot give charity.

Holler for Jesus,

Greg Yount

Check out my blogs:

Just-a-Thot - Devotional thoughts - http://justa-thot.blogspot.com

As I See It - Biblical perspectives on current events - http://asiseeit10.blogspot.com

Blessed to Be Righteous

"The Lord our Righteousness." - Jer_23:6

How the righteousness should comfort, strengthen, and encourage the believer! The greatness of Christ is most blessedly shown in His righteousness. A King may be great without being righteous. A Roman or Greek god might be great but has no righteousness. Neither has the murderous god of Islam, or the nebulous gods of Eastern Mysticism. The cultic gods of Mormonism and the Jehovah's Witnesses do not have the righteousness of the God of the Bible. These gods require man to earn the right - though the Bible clearly says there is no possible way. It takes a righteous God to see our unrighteousness, and lovingly convert it to righteousness through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ, who cleanses us from all unrighteousness. Christ IS our righteousness. Apart from Him, we would have none, and have no hope of ever having righteousness. Christ has made us righteous, "That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:4

So how should that encourage us? This righteous God is our God, and His righteousness has been given to us. We are, therefore, perfect in Christ Jesus. We have great reason to cheer, and to praise the Lord, our God - for He has blessed us with a most amazing gift that only He could give - His own righteousness. The errors we make are covered by the blood of Christ. The good things we do are the grace of God, and we are accepted always because of the righteousness God sees in us who have taken Christ as Savior and walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. We can rest on Him completely, and though we are not worthy, we are still righteous in God's sight!

Who is your judge? Is it your neighbor, your community, yourself? No! It is the Righteous God who has lifted you up by bringing you His righteousness. Though the whole world condemn you, you are not destroyed because your God has given you His righteousness. Is the enemy, Satan, your judge? No! Again, you cannot be destroyed because the God who is over Satan, has set you free by His righteousness, and declares you to be righteous in Himself. There is none that can declare you unrighteous when the One who declares such things has granted you full pardon and His own righteousness!

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The Answer for a Guilty Conscience

"Perfect in Christ Jesus." - Col_1:28

Do you struggle with failure, imperfection, and self-worth issues? Do your limitations constantly seem to be "in your face"? Does your temper get away from you? Do you fight unforgiveness and bitterness? Do you find yourself involved in gossip and slander from time to time? Each imperfection is another block in the wall of separation between you and your God who is perfect. Remember, my friend, that God's perfect word says that you are "perfect in Christ Jesus." You are complete in Him. In His sight, you are perfect, for you are in His perfect Son. You are "accepted in the beloved."

But there is a second perfection to look forward to as well. It is the perfection of living in heaven with the Lord, washed from all sin stains; presented faultless before the throne, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing. You will be so pure that not even the perfect eye of the all-seeing Perfectly Holy One can spot a blemish or spot. You will be as Holy as the Holy One.

Take comfort, dear brother; let your heart not be troubled, dear sister. Your Lord has made you perfect in your faith, and whatever ails you in this life, is never to follow you forever. There is nothing Your Savior cannot forgive, does not forgive, and will not forgive - save unbelief. Thus, your faith has made you perfect. When you stumble on imperfections, confess them to the Lord, and He will cleanse you perfectly of it every time.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9 HCSB)

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The Mystery of God's Love

Bible Reading: (Jeremiah 32:41)

Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul.

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Here is a mystery - a divinely wonderful mystery - that God in His infinite holiness will look upon sinful men and women with rejoicing and plans to bless. Spurgeon notes that God has created many beautiful things (mountains, stars, waterfalls, angels and cherubim, etc.), but has chosen to say of sinful man, "I will rejoice over them to do them good."

How is it that sinful man can stir up God's love and anger? The answer lies not in God's anger, but in God's unfailing love. He is angry against our sin, but infinitely loving toward our souls. He loves us so much He will do anything to separate us from our sins - even if it means shedding the blood of His Only Son - Jesus Christ. He realizes that the only means of separating us from our sins is to give us a new nature, make us into a new creature with the characteristics of God Himself. He has found a way, by His Spirit, to do this to all who will call upon Him. It delights Him to do so - and to continue to "do them good."

God rejoices over one sinner that repents of his sin. The entire Heavenly Host throws a party. The forgiveness of God flows easily down from on High to the soul of the new saint who pleads with God for mercy - giving that poor soul a grace that is beyond words. His grace offers that poor sinner more than mere forgiveness. Yes, his penalty of death for sin is laid aside, never to be taken up again (there is therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus), but offers to that repentant one a new heritage, inheritance, destiny, treasure, and character. When God blesses, truly blesses, that life is eternally changed.

The question to close with is this: Do we rejoice in Him as He has in us? Shouldn't we respond with a similar love for the Lord by singing, "I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation?"

Bro. Greg

Morning Devotions

Bible Reading: Psalms 120:5 Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar!

I just finished reading "In the Presence of Mine Enemies" by Gracia Burnham, the American Missionary to the Philippines who was taken hostage for a year in 2001-02 and lost her husband in the rescue effort. If ever there was a person Christian who might say "woe is me" for my journeys, she had cause. Yet, like the psalmist, she proved by her experience that God is more powerful than the enemies we live around. Whatever the difficulty, God is greater. He may not remove us from the hardships, but He reveals His presence and His grace during the journey. We must watch for His hands in the little stuff.

The Psalmist speaks of dwelling in the midst of an ungodly world, in the middle of our enemies. Whether we are taken captive by terrorists as Gracia was or not, we must concede to the truth that there are enemies all around us. Believers are targeted, watched, and judged by the rest of the world. We need the Lord's strength to stand to such scrutiny. We must be yielding to Him if we are to endure such difficulty. Our conduct must be holy; our hearts must be pure. We must not lay blame, nor give them reason to blame us. Spurgeon tells us that we should let our only fault be our goodness. Consistency and usefulness are the marks of faith.

The enemies who surround us need us. They need our gentle touch, our kind words, and our loving hearts. They need to see that God loves them, and we are God's love-pitchers that He wants to use to pour that love upon our enemies. After all, they are only our enemies because we are Christians - and that means it is Christ they fight and strive against, not us. They are the sick ones, and Christ is the physician. We are His hands, His mouth, his arms and his body. Let us minister to their needs. We cannot wait for a more favorable time - for the sick among us is the most favorable time of all. Show them the straight paths, and then tell them the good news of how to get on it by faith in Christ Jesus. When they believe and are converted, then you will see the mighty power of God. May we stand fast as a good soldier of Jesus Christ! May we be the ambassador to the hardest of countries - the world - from the greatest - Heaven! May our lives give the Lord great glory, and great opportunity to reveal Himself to others.

Bro. Greg

Morning Devotions - The Mercies of God

Bible Reading: Psa 51:1 - To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

Our God is a merciful God. We should learn to rely upon that - and when His mercy is shown to us, we should be overflowing with gratitude, not take it for granted. How our hearts need and yearn for mercy when sin has overcome us. And then we continue in our sin because we have a merciful God - as though He were merely overlooking it.

David found mercy in the Lord. But David also had consequences on earth to pay. That, I believe, is the evidence of the Lord's mercies. I mean, the mercy of God is such that His eternal penalty is blotted out. Our account with others must still be paid. The alcoholic has an account with his liver. The meth user has an account with his brain. The gambler has an account with everyone. The murderer as much as the liar has hurt others and owes a debt to them. God's forgiveness does not mean the forgiveness of others. David's household was troubled from then on. So it is for the blended families because people would not marry and stay married. All excuses aside, most divorces are for convenience and selfishness - a lack of conviction and commitment. Many children are the product of illicit sex, and the parents having these kids out of wedlock have a debt for their sin as well - to their kids.

One of the greatest things about David is that he admitted his sin, and called it his - not blaming others. He confessed it to God, and was willing to take his licks. Do you want the grace of God in your life? Then cast yourself at His feet, and allow Him to determine what licks you receive. You will be surprised at His Holy mercy and grace that He gives you - and the strength you'll have when the licks come. Like Paul, you'll be able to hear "My grace is sufficient." What a tender, merciful, gracious Savior we have!

Bro. Greg