Off the Hook?

on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.
(Romans 2:16 – ESV)

Sometimes there are people who do not participate in a certain type of sin yet they stand up for the idea anyway. Those people who want more than acceptance of these sinful ideas, they want approval for them, are not wanting to save others so much as to have their own sinful ways justified. Those who are overly tolerant, indecisive or inclusive, or who chide you for being judgmental seem as if they are taking the high road. However, when the full truth of men’s hearts are revealed, we might find that they are doing so, not just to let someone else off the hook, but so that they might let themselves off the hook. However, God doesn’t grade on a curve He grades based on Christ.

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©

Prophetic or Predictable?

Do not be deceived: "Bad company ruins good morals."
(1 Corinthians 15:33 – ESV)

Sometimes it is obvious what certain behaviors, associations, and beliefs will lead to. Just as God warns His children, so too we warn our children that doing certain things will yield certain results, things that we can see easily but that they rebel against. Yet as adults we still think we can avoid the baggage that inevitably attaches itself to us as we try and do things “our way”. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you (James 4:7-8a).

Listen, you don’t have to be a prophet to watch the grass grow. You are either going in one direction or the other. The question is which lawn are you watering?

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©

The Standard

because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.
(Acts 17:31 – ESV)

The resurrection shows that Jesus will be the judge of humanity (Acts 10:42), and also the standard of righteousness by which all shall be judged (Romans 1:4).

Why does a good God allow evil? It is because He is merciful. If He were to institute instant justice none of us would make it through the day.

When we say that God has all power, we mean all, ALL, A-L-L power...He is the Creator, but also the sustainer, and yes the allow-er, but also the forgiver.

Jesus has been given all power (Matthew 28:18)…be a standard bearer and tell your world of His righteousness and His power to save.

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©

A Moment of Clarity (2)

Part of building up the true is knocking down the false.

2 Corinthians 10:5 – We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

People sometimes presume a posture of taking the high road by accusing others who speak the truth of being harsh and unloving. They might say that we should try writing something that edifies. However, to build up the good edifice means we need to break down the bad one in its place. It is a positive thing to speak negative words about false and evil things.

Ephesians 4:29 – Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

When we speak to put evil in its place, we are not using corrupting talk; we are talking about that which is corrupt.

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©

A Moment of Clarity

Just because we are all in the same sin boat doesn’t mean we aren’t supposed to tell the other person when he is letting in water, or that we aren’t supposed to shout “man overboard” when someone decides they want to make a splash.

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©