If Possible

 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all (Rom 12:18).

On the surface this sounds like an easy command to obey. Yet it takes everything we learn about Christ and to emulate him to be able to do it. The reason it is difficult is that no matter how much we put others before ourselves, how much we strive to be kind to others, there will always be someone who is going to have consternation with you.

Maybe not all the time, but because people are sinful, even other believers may become abusive against you. Even members of your own household.

The key to remember and not become despondent or devastated about it is the small phrase, “so far as it depends on you.” How do you do that? Don't give others reasons for offense. But know that even then some will find your behavior offensive. Just don't do it on purpose or go out of your way to make it happen.

When it happens, don't look for vengeance (Rom 12:19) but still treat them lovingly as much as possible (Rom 12:20). Wait for the Lord to take care of it. Of course if I'm at fault I must confess and ask for forgiveness. But even then, some may not forgive but I've done what I could do to be at peace.

Help me Lord, not to be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good (Rom 12: 21).

Presumptuous Sin

 13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. Ps 19:13

I had to do a bit of dive on what it meant to be presumptuous in general. There are different definitions, but this one is useful when thinking about sin. “Behavior perceived as arrogant, disrespectful, and transgressing the limits of what is permitted or appropriate.” When I searched for presumptuous sins, I got a smattering of different thoughts.

·                 The sin of presumption starts out with committing small sins presuming that God will forgive them. But over time our conscience will become dulled to sin and we will be led to presume that God will forgive our mortal sins. (https://www.catholic.com).

·                 Presumptuous sin is intentional willful. It is doing something boldly, brazenly, audaciously, arrogantly, rebelliously, defiantly. Remember verse 31 says that it brings despite on God's Word. And, if we commit such a sin, we are doing it in defiance of what God has said. (Refers to Num 15:30-31 KJV https://www.bibletools.org)

·                 It is assuming or taking something for granted, guessing or hoping something is true on the basis of probability or mistaken belief, based on wrong or incomplete facts, thoughts and ideas, rather than solid facts including the correct interpretation of God's Word. (https://www.bible-dictionary.info)

I think the Catholic definition really hit it on the head even if they distinguish between small sins and mortal sins. David recognized that if he engaged in sin, knowing it was sin, would be doing it defiantly and against what the Lord had forbidden. Then as these mount up (getting dominion over him) he would blameless of greater sins. Num 15:30-31 in current translations uses the word defiantly instead of presumptuously as the KJV does. So the pattern fits with the first two explanations.

The third explanation comes from another definition of presumption. Presumption in that an assumption has been made before a course of logic results in an action or attitude. You might say the whole of evolutionary thought is presumptuous. It certainly leads to wrong conclusions and a world view that is anti-God and anti-Christ.

This is a big warning to make sure that I do not presume to know things that will lead me to defy what God has said is should or shouldn’t do. Lord, help me to keep from defying you and letting that attitude fester into rebellion.

Our Temple

In Second Chronicles chapter 6 and 7, Solomon prays at the dedication of the temple. In the first part he prays that the promises given to David will be fulfilled as he praises God. The next part, which is the vast majority of the prayer, is asking for forgiveness when people have sinned in various ways and the Lord has brought calamity on them for their sins. He asked that when they pray toward the temple that God will forgive. Then he asked God to come down and God comes down and His glory cloud filled the temple. Then fire comes down from heaven and burns up the sacrifice.

As I read this, I'm struck by the fact that Jesus is our temple now. Jesus came down but in humility not glory and we find our forgiveness in Him when we pray to Him. There is evidence in the Bible that there will be a temple built during the tribulation or just before the tribulation. I wonder about that simply because it will be a sham. Because Jesus has come there doesn't need to be another temple. Then we also see evidence that there will be a temple during the Millennium. So, what's that temple for? It certainly will not be used for sin sacrifices because Jesus has paid for our sins.

However, in eternity we definitely see that there is a temple in the new Jerusalem in Revelation 21:22 it says that the Lord God almighty and Jesus are the temple. We will be in His presence and worshiping Him like no other time in history.

Thank you, Jesus, we can pray to you now for forgiveness.

Reckoning

22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. (Rom 4:22-25)

The word counted in these verses is also translated credited, reckoned, and imputed in different versions of the Bible. These words are used to let us know that our faith results in a reality that we are righteous. The Blue Letter Bible app in its Greek lexicon explains the use of the word this way, “This word deals with reality. If I reckon (logizomai) that my bank book has $25 in it, it has $25 in it. Otherwise, I am deceiving myself. This word refers more to fact than supposition or opinion.”[1]

Following this definition, I see that it is fact that I’m righteous and it is the result of my requirement to believe in Jesus. I believe that Jesus took my sins when he was delivered up. But my justification is dependent on His resurrection. Without His resurrection, the transaction isn't complete. Just like taking a check to the bank, it isn't in my account until deposited. It took three days for the deposit to clear (so to speak). But, that's why I must also believe Jesus is raised from the dead. See how this fits with Rom 10:9-11:

 9 Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Thank you, Father for taking the deposit of Jesus’ righteousness and reckoning it to my account and declaring me justified.

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[1] https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3049/esv/mgnt/0-1/

Told you so, part 2

Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. (Acts 27:21-22)

Paul tells the crew of the ship that he was right and they were wrong, but he doesn't stop there. He encourages them that there is still a way out of the problem.

Yes, we can tell someone, “I told you so” when it goes bad for them after ignoring our advice. But if we want to be good ambassadors for Christ, we will do it only to show that there is still hope. This is especially true when our advice is about spiritual things, Kingdom living things, that have been ignored. We point them back to the Bible and let them know that there is always opportunity for repentance and restoration.

Help me, Lord, to be an encourager even when my counsel isn't heeded and be able to help steer a course back to you.

Told you so!

Paul advised them, 10 saying, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” 11 But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. (Acts 27:9-11)

What do you do when no one listens to you even when you know you are right? Then do you tell them, “I told you so” when it turns out that they should have followed your advice?

Paul faced that situation on his trip to Rome and not following his advice ended in shipwreck. And yes, he did tell them, “I told you so” in verse 21.

If I don’t have complete trust in the Lord, I can become angry and bitter when I’m not heard. I can have all sorts of negative sinful feelings. But if I trust the Lord, I will not go with those feelings.

The Psalms are full of questions such as, how long Lord. And I may ask those things also when I feel dismissed and ignored. But, I know that the Lord has a plan and in the end it will work out.

Help me, Lord, to be patient and learn what you have for me in these situations.