A Way of Return...

And he stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with stringed instruments, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, of Gad the king's seer, and of Nathan the prophet; for thus was the commandment of the LORD by His prophets. 26 The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. 27 Then Hezekiah commanded them to offer the burnt offering on the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD also began, with the trumpets and with the instruments of David king of Israel. 28 So all the assembly worshiped, the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was finished. 29 And when they had finished offering, the king and all who were present with him bowed and worshiped. 30 Moreover King Hezekiah and the leaders commanded the Levites to sing praise to the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshiped.—2 Chronicles 29:25-30

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. God provides a way of return!  We are NEVER without recourse when we sin. Prior to salvation my heart would often think after I had sinned, that there was no way back...I had gone too far...God could never forgive me.  Tragically, I used these thoughts to sin even more because I had already gone beyond (in my view) the point of no return.  Today, when I sin my heart sorrows, but not as one who has no hope.  I rejoice as the people of Israel did, because God has provided me with a way back into fellowship with Him.  God has accepted His Son’s propitiation!  Jesus’ perfect life, death and resurrection has made me free from the law of sin and death. My sins...past, present and future are forgiven!  I am alive to God. The life I now live, I live unto Him!  I still struggle in my flesh but praise God, sin no longer has dominion over me.   When I bring my heart to Him for cleansing, there is sorrow, but there is also much joy in the Holy Spirit. As a believer in Jesus, I stand justified before God.  I LIVE in His grace!  His mercy surrounds me.  I sing with the Levite’s:

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever.—Psalm 136:1

And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. 19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.—Hebrews 10:11-14; 19-23

Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. 13 Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. 14 For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. 15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.—Hebrews 13:12-15

1 Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!

2 Serve the LORD with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

3 Know that the LORD, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

5 For the LORD is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.—Psalm 100:1-5

Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!

They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance.

16 In Your name they rejoice all day long,

And in Your righteousness they are exalted.

17 For You are the glory of their strength,

And in Your favor our horn is exalted.

18 For our shield belongs to the LORD,

And our king to the Holy One of Israel.—Psalm 89:15-18 

Love is the Fulfillment of the Law...

Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.  11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.—Romans 13:8-12

This portion of Romans has had a profound impact on my life. In my humble opinion, it is one of the most powerful portions of Scripture from both a doctrinal and practical standpoint. Love is the debt that is always owed..it is never repaid. Love set us free from the law of sin and death and that same self-sacrificing love will enable us to walk in the Spirit...putting on our Lord Jesus Christ, whose love fulfilled every jot and every tittle of the law for us who believe.  Love is the summation of our obedience for in it the whole law is fulfilled. 

If we truly love the people God puts in front of us, we will always do what is in their best interests.  We will care for them in the same way that we want God to care for us.  

"So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:12, ESV)

This kind of love fulfills the law because it does no harm...only what is good, what is right or what is best.  This kind of love speaks truth, ministers to needs, sets a godly example, covers faults, forgives, endures and sacrifices on behalf of others. The only way we can love this way is by relying on the power of God’s Spirit in our hearts.  I like it because it is simple...one law...the law of love.  Love is always the right response...love never fails. 

Day by day the time draws nearer for our Jesus to return for His church.  Truly, as we look around, our salvation IS nearer than when we first believed.  Because this is true, let us cast off the works of darkness and live in the light of His love...freely sharing it with others. Show the people in Your life in Your outward behavior, the inward reality of the love the Spirit of God has shed abroad in Your heart!  Draw them to the One alone, who can save them, by Your love.  

Father...we want to love like this!  Thank You that You have shed Your love abroad in our hearts.  You are our Shepherd and have given us all we need to love others as you have loved us...to meet them at their point of need.  We submit  to Your Spirit right now and ask that He would purify our hearts and teach us to love. Thank you that you have made the fulfillment of the law so very simple...even a child can understand. 

❤️Romans 12❤️ Psalm 22❤️

Romans 12...

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Serve God with Spiritual Gifts

3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. 20 Therefore

"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;

If he is thirsty, give him a drink;

For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head."

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12 is, in my opinion, the pinnacle of practical Christian living.  Reading through it is ALWAYS convicting.  My inner man truly wants to live out all of it!   Like Paul, I delight in the law of God in my inward man. My desire is to love and serve Him with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength!  Sadly, I find myself, also like Paul, doing those very things that I will not to do!  Those things that are the polar opposite of what I read in Romans 12. Oh wretched man that I am!  So thankful for my Jesus who did deliver and continues to deliver me from this body of death.  Through Him, I am more than a conqueror!  

When I had finished reading Romans 12 this morning, my OYB took me to Psalm 22 verse 19. 

But You, O LORD, do not be far from Me;

O My Strength, hasten to help Me!

This morning, I am crying out with Jesus,...oh Lord...be not far from me!  Oh, my Strength, hasten to help me!  

Father,  Enable me to walk in Your way, by Your strength and power..teach me to stay myself on You and find my comfort in Your support.   Oh Lord! Do this work in my heart.  I want to walk in Your Spirit doing those things that are good and right. ❤️

A Tale of Two Women...

Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal heirs of the house of Judah. 11 But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king's sons who were being murdered, and put him and his nurse in a bedroom. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah so that she did not kill him. 12 And he was hidden with them in the house of God for six years, while Athaliah reigned over the land.—2 Chronicles 21:10-12

One evil woman, Athaliah, seeks to destroy God’s kingdom by putting out the lamp of David in Judah and setting up for herself and her posterity a kingdom.  Perhaps intending, as Matthew Henry says, to transmit the crown of Judah after herself to some of her own relations, that though her family was cut off in Israel by Jehu it might be planted in Judah.   One good woman, Jehoshabeath, seeks to preserve God’s kingdom by saving Ahaziah’s youngest son, Joash, from being murdered and hiding him away in the house of God for six years.  God’s word does not return void.  Not a jot or tittle will be left unfulfilled.  Good overcame evil...Joash became king at the ripe old age of seven and Athaliah was executed.   God used one good woman whose heart was for Him to establish His word.  

Father...Give me a courageous and loving heart like Jehoshabeath that desires to do Your will and not my own.  May I be a woman after Your own heart whose hands and heart edify and encourage Your people desiring only their good and Your glory. The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with her hands. This precious woman was truly like the one spoken of in Proverbs 31:31. 

Give her of the fruit of her hands,

And let her own works praise her in the gates.

 Even today, her works are still praising her in the gates!  

Through wisdom a house is built,

And by understanding it is established;

By knowledge the rooms are filled

With all precious and pleasant riches.—Proverbs 24:3-4

A Letter from God Himself...

And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying,

Thus says the LORD God of your father David:

Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah, 13 but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to play the harlot like the harlotry of the house of Ahab, and also have killed your brothers, those of your father's household, who were better than yourself, 14 behold, the LORD will strike your people with a serious affliction—your children, your wives, and all your possessions; 15 and you will become very sick with a disease of your intestines, until your intestines come out by reason of the sickness, day by day.

16 Moreover the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and the Arabians who were near the Ethiopians. 17 And they came up into Judah and invaded it, and carried away all the possessions that were found in the king's house, and also his sons and his wives, so that there was not a son left to him except Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.

18 After all this the LORD struck him in his intestines with an incurable disease. 19 Then it happened in the course of time, after the end of two years, that his intestines came out because of his sickness; so he died in severe pain. And his people made no burning for him, like the burning for his fathers. 20 He was thirty-two years old when he became king. He reigned in Jerusalem eight years and, to no one's sorrow, departed. However they buried him in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.—2 Chronicles 20:12-20

I had to hit the “rewind” here and reread these verses.  King Jehoram received a letter of warning from the LORD God Himself!   Now I don’t know where Jehoram was in his reign or in his sin when this letter arrived, but it is clear that it had no restraining effect on him.  God even gives him a very graphic description of what would come upon him.   

behold, the LORD will strike your people with a serious affliction—your children, your wives, and all your possessions; 15 and you will become very sick with a disease of your intestines, until your intestines come out by reason of the sickness, day by day.

But it had no effect on Jehoram.  He died alone and in agony without hope and without comfort.  I liked what Matthew Henry wrote about these verses.

“Good men may be afflicted with diseases; but to them they are fatherly chastisements, and by the support of Divine consolations the soul may dwell at ease, even when the body lies in pain. To be sick and poor, sick and solitary, but especially to be sick and in sin, sick and under the curse of God, sick and without grace to bear it, is a most deplorable case. Wickedness and profaneness make men despicable, even in the eyes of those who have but little religion”

Father... Like Jehoram, I have a personal letter from You!  I have Your word.  May I never esteem it lightly!  Give me a tender heart and a sensitive conscience.  Instruct me and teach me in the way I should go!  Guide me with Your eye.  Let me not be like the mule which has no understanding and must be harnessed with bit and bridle else they will not come near.  Let me hear Your voice in the morning saying, 

“This is the way, walk in it,”

Whenever you turn to the right hand

Or whenever you turn to the left.

Many sorrows shall be to the wicked;

But he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him.

Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous;

And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!—Psalm 32:10-11

The Righteousness of Faith...

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.  5 For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, "The man who does those things shall live by them." 6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down from above) 7 or, "'Who will descend into the abyss?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."—Romans 10:4-13

Christ is our righteousness!  By the deeds of the law no flesh is justified in His sight.  There is none who does good...no not one. All have become guilty before God.  But of Him we are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— if we glory then, let us glory in Him who did it all!  We who believe have been justified by faith and have peace with God through Jesus...our Lord and our Savior.  

Romans 10:6-7 quotes Deuteronomy 30:12-13.  Interestingly, Paul personifies the righteousness that comes by faith here by giving it a voice.  It says we don’t have to ascend into heaven or descend into the abyss to find Christ.  That kind of travel or effort is not necessary. In fact, God has already done that!   God has clearly revealed to us the way of salvation. It is by faith.  Verses 9 and 10 tell us how. 

that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 

God is near...His salvation is right in front of us...as near to us as our own heart and lips. We who are saved are those that confess with our mouths that Jesus is our Master and Lord and believe in our hearts that God has raised Him from the dead.  Confession here means to say the same thing that God says about Jesus...that He is both Savior and Lord.  Believing in our heart is not just an acknowledgment that Jesus is God (the demons believe, James says, and tremble). It means that we who believe have a deep, personal and sincere conviction that Jesus is our personal Lord and Savior and that His perfect life and death fulfilled all the righteous requirements of the law in our place.  Jesus’ resurrection proved that God had accepted His sacrifice in our place. 

Verses 11-13 emphasize that salvation is available to all.  Whoever calls on the name of the Lord, will be saved.  Salvation is available to people of all nations and races. Not just any Lord...but the Lord Jesus whom God raised from the dead. 

Today I Will...2 Chronicles 20

King Jehoshaphat sought the Lord with godly reverence and fear.  Read these verses from 2 Chronicles 20 and make them Your heart today. 

Do this work in me, Father!  Today, by Your precious Spirit who dwells in me and is always with me...

I WILL...

Keep my eyes on You...

Seek You in all things..

Remember that the battles I face are not mine but Yours...

Remember that I am weak and powerless, but in You I am strong and courageous. 

Remember that wherever I go and whatever I face, Your Presence goes with me and You are FOR me...

Believe You...I will believe Your promises to me in Your Word knowing that You who called me is faithful.  

Know that I am more than a conqueror in You who loves me.  

Praise You before the battle, in the midst of the battle and after the battle has ended. 

Father...Your steadfast love toward me never ceases.  All power, all glory and all honor are Yours, now and forever!  Amen. 

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.—Hebrews 4:14-16

Yesterday’s OYB Psalm...holding on to it today...❤️

1 May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble;

May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;

2 May He send you help from the sanctuary,

And strengthen you out of Zion;

3 May He remember all your offerings,

And accept your burnt sacrifice.

Selah

4 May He grant you according to your heart's desire,

And fulfill all your purpose.

5 We will rejoice in your salvation,

And in the name of our God we will set up our banners!

May the LORD fulfill all your petitions.

6 Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed;

He will answer him from His holy heaven

With the saving strength of His right hand.

7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;

But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.

8 They have bowed down and fallen;

But we have risen and stand upright.

9 Save, LORD!

May the King answer us when we call.—Psalm 20

And today’s Psalm 21 is perfect!

1 The king shall have joy in Your strength, O LORD;
And in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!
2 You have given him his heart's desire,
And have not withheld the request of his lips.
Selah
3 For You meet him with the blessings of goodness;
You set a crown of pure gold upon his head.
4 He asked life from You, and You gave it to him—
Length of days forever and ever.
5 His glory is great in Your salvation;
Honor and majesty You have placed upon him.
6 For You have made him most blessed forever;
You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence.
7 For the king trusts in the LORD,
And through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved.
8 Your hand will find all Your enemies;
Your right hand will find those who hate You.
9 You shall make them as a fiery oven in the time of Your anger;
The LORD shall swallow them up in His wrath,
And the fire shall devour them.
10 Their offspring You shall destroy from the earth,
And their descendants from among the sons of men.
11 For they intended evil against You;
They devised a plot which they are not able to perform.
12 Therefore You will make them turn their back;
You will make ready Your arrows on Your string toward their faces.
13 Be exalted, O LORD, in Your own strength!

We will sing and praise Your power.

Rest on Every Side...

Therefore he said to Judah, "Let us build these cities and make walls around them, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us, because we have sought the LORD our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side."—2 Chronicles 14:7

By God’s hand of mercy and grace, King Asa got it right. He sought the Lord His God. Scripture tells us Asa did what was good and right in the sight of the Lord.  

In verse 11 we read:

And Asa cried out to the LORD his God, and said, "LORD, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O LORD our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!"

Asa’s confidence was in His God! He knew the secret of victory was first in admitting his own weakness and acknowledging God’s ability. 

And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.—2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Oh Father!   When my heart is overwhelmed with the cares and concerns of this life, lead me to the Rock that is higher than I am.  Rest on every side sounds so wonderful.  Help me to trust You moment by moment today in all things, and as I do, bring Your perfect rest to my fretful and broken heart.  You are sovereign.  You have a loving and divine purpose in all that comes my way.  You are my refuge in this vail of tears. In the midst of all the curves and changes of this life, You change not. You are the same yesterday today and forever.  You are the same today as when You “spared not Your own Son” more than 2000 years ago! Nothing can befall me except that which is good. All You do in me and toward me is done in covenant love. I have a God who sympathizes with me in my weakness and knows my frame.  My Jesus who bore my sins also carries my sorrows.  His Presence today goes with me, and He will be faithful to bring me His rest on every side as I seek Him.  

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."—Matthew 11:28-30

Nothing Can Separate...

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:

"For Your sake we are killed all day long;

We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.—Romans 8:35-39

I. LOVE. THIS...

Romans 8 is my favorite chapter in the Bible.  Not only is it chock-filled with good doctrine which leads to right living, but it is also filled with MUCH comfort.  By God’s grace, I memorized it very soon after my salvation occurred. In fact, it was the very first portion of Scripture I committed to memory after coming to the Lord. I am so thankful to God that I did!  What a continual and ongoing blessing it has been to me!! God has used its foundational concepts to keep me walking in His truth rather than in the lies of my past.   Many a night my anxious thoughts have been quelled and my heart comforted by the its precious truths.

There has been and continues to be much ongoing sorrow and loss in my life. This is not surprising.  Manifold and variegated troubles come to all who inhabit the earth. There are none who escape.  What a blessing it is, however, to remember that no matter what trials and turns my life may take here on earth, there is no one and nothing that can separate me from my God.  He lives in my heart.  I belong to Him.  My Jesus will NEVER leave me or forsake me.  He is my guide even unto death.  In Him, I live and move and have my being.  I am more than a conqueror through Him who loves me and died to set me free.  

No Need for Fear...

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father.—Romans 8:15

As a child of God, I long to live always pleasing my Father in heaven...doing His will from my heart.  So often, however, my flesh gets in my way.  My head can know and believe that I am His child and as such...as unbelievable as it sounds...an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ, but my actions don’t always follow what my “head” knows. More often than not, they follow what my “heart” believes.  

Truly, I need  NOT be afraid.  But I am.  My heart, it seems, takes way longer to believe a truth than my mind. I have lived more than half of my lifetime in bondage to sin and to my flesh. It takes time for these truths to really sink into my heart so that my actions are affected by them. This morning I am so thankful that God has sent His Spirit to dwell in me.  He is my witness...His inward presence reveals the truth of my sonship to my heart.  He helps me in my weakness, leads me in right paths and overwhelms and encourages me with His love. He is my strength and my song. I am never alone.  

I AM no longer a fearful slave but the MASTER’s child!  By His grace and power, I CAN walk in His Spirit and fulfill His will.  I do not need a spirit of fear.  His perfect love in my heart testifies to that truth.  He has given me His Son!  The Great I AM...the Becoming One is with me!  He will perfect those things that concern me.  He will give me what I need to see me through this vail of tears.  It is God who works in me both do will and to do for His good pleasure.  I just need to draw near and abide.  And even that desire comes from Him.  

But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob,

And He who formed you, O Israel:

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by your name;

You are Mine.

2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.

When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,

Nor shall the flame scorch you.—Isaiah 43:1-2

To Be Spiritually Minded is Life and Peace...

For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.—Romans 7:22-25

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.—Romans 8:1-6

I am so glad these verses are in the Bible!  God’s grace always fills, overflows and rejoices my heart as I read Romans 7 and 8!  I identify with Paul in his delight in the law of God in his inward man and also identify with him in the struggles of his flesh as they war against the law of his mind bringing him into captivity to the law of sin.  Insert HEAVY SIGH here...

Sin IS miserable and a miserable place to be. I cry out with Paul, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”   

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),—Ephesians 2:4-5

I am so thankful for Jesus who is my Liberator...the One who has made me free from the law of sin and death. 

For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.—Romans 8:3-4

In Christ, there is NO condemnation. (8:1) My sins, past, present and future are forgiven!   Further down in Romans 8:32 it says this:  Read and rejoice!

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

Paul’s argument here is from the greater to the lesser.  God has already sacrificed His Son for us and that when we were still His enemies. How much more then will He give us what is necessary now as His friends to complete His purpose in choosing us.  God will complete that good work He began in us!  Verses 33 and 34 say this:

Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

God has justified us!  He has declared us righteous. Who can then accuse us??  Who can then condemn us??  

1.  Christ died for us. 

2.  Christ also rose from the dead and in so doing conquered sin and death.   

3.  Christ sits at the right hand of our Father in heaven and 

4.  Christ continually intercedes for us before the Father. 

Answer:  No one!

My takeaway from my Romans reading this morning is this:  

For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.—Romans 8:6

So simple!  Who wouldn’t choose life and peace over death??  Colossians 3:2 speaks to this well. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.  I love what John MacArthurs says about this verse. 

Set your minds can also be translated “think,” or “have this inner disposition.” As a compass points north, the believer’s entire disposition should point itself toward the things of heaven. Heavenly thoughts can only come by understanding heavenly realities from Scripture. 

Father...Set my mind on the things that are above..on the heavenly...turn my heart to hunger and thirst after righteousness satisfying the desires of my spirit rather than those of my flesh.  

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.—Romans 12:2