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For I know the plans I have for you,declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jer 29:11 |
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| Archived Manna: | |
Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for collecting daily manna), make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Sunday, August 20, 2017
Today's Passage : Today's Passage: Subject:Sinners and Righteousness Bible Verse:1 John 3:4-10 (ESV) "Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. " Message:
Here, John steers perilously close to a doctrine of righteousness by works; that is, a belief that we can be saved because we act correctly and do not sin. But that is not his intention. John, like Paul, was committed to a doctrine of righteousness by faith, not works.
We cannot be saved by our works, for it is in our nature to sin, and we cannot overcome it. But when we sin, as John said earlier, ”we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and He is the propitiation for our sins.“
To understand John’s meaning, we must remember that this epistle was motivated by the multitude of false teachers who had sprung up. He was trying to help the readers discern who they should listen to and who they should ignore. He is not preaching, but guiding.
And the advice he gives is as true as it ever was. Who should we listen to, for teaching and guidance in our faith? Adulterers, or angry judgmental preachers, or those who are greedy for money and power? No. We know that no human will be perfect, for ”all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.“ But when it comes to teachers, preachers, ministers and priests, we must choose those whose follow the basic precepts of Christianity in their own lives.
Paul gave similar advice in 1 Timothy and Titus, e.g. ”Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. . . .“ (Timothy 3:8)
This might be seen as an exception to the commandment that we not judge others, but it is only a partial one. We are still not allowed to judge Christian teachers as people, or as Christians. But we must use our judgment to decide who to entrust with our knowledge of God’s word.
Meditation : Prayer : May the Passion of Christ be ever in my heart. May your law and your goodness guide my every thought, O Lord. And may the power of your Holy Spirit flow through my words and my actions today, and always.. Amen |
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