Monday, January 29, 2024

Bible Study


Romans 3:28


[28] For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.


Hebrews 11:33-39


[33] who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, [34] quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. [35] Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. [36] Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. [37] They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated—[38] of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.


[39] And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised,


Galatians 5:6


[6] For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.


Matthew 7:16-20


[16] You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? [17] So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. [18] A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. [19] Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. [20] Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.


Sunday, January 28, 2024

Are You Responding to God by Faith?


PRAY OVER THIS


“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

James 2:14-17

 

PONDER THIS


You are not saved by faith and works, but you are saved by faith that works. You are justified by faith alone, but the faith that justifies is never alone; it always has works. If your religion hasn’t changed your life, you’d better change your religion. When God does something in your heart and in your life, it will be seen. If you say, “Well, I’m trusting Him but I’m not going to make it known. I’m not going take any stand,” then you’re not really trusting Him.


Faith without works is dead. Walking down the aisle won’t save anybody, but what it indicates will save everybody. Jesus said, “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38). You see, faith responds to the guidance of God. Faith is acting on what we know to be true. We faithfully obey. If you have Paul’s faith, you’ll have James’ works—they simply go together.


What are some works that come because of faith?

When have you struggled to live by faith? What makes this difficult?


PRACTICE THIS


Read Genesis 22 and observe the ways Abraham displayed his faith through his works. Pray for God to grow your faith.



LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

How to Repent


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


A vague, bad feeling that you are a crummy person is not the same as conviction for sin. Feeling rotten is not the same as repentance.


This morning I began to pray, and felt unworthy to be talking to the Creator of the universe. It was a vague sense of unworthiness. So I told him so. Now what?


Nothing changed until I began to get specific about my sins. Crummy feelings can be useful if they lead to conviction for specific sins. But vague feelings of being a bad person are not usually very helpful.


The fog of unworthiness needs to take shape into clear dark pillars of disobedience. Then you can point to them and repent and ask for forgiveness and take aim with your gospel bazooka to blow them up.


So I began to call to mind the commands I frequently break. These are the ones that came to mind.


Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Not 95%, but 100%. (Matthew 22:37)

Love your neighbor as you love yourself. Be as eager for things to go well for him as you are for things to go well for you. (Matthew 22:39)

Do all things without grumbling. No grumbling — inside or outside. (Philippians 2:14)

Cast all your anxieties on him — so you are not being weighed down by them anymore. (1 Peter 5:7)

Only say things that give grace to others — especially those closest to you. (Ephesians 4:29)

Redeem the time. Don’t fritter away the minutes, or dawdle. (Ephesians 5:16)

So much for any pretensions to great holiness! I’m undone.


This is much worse than vague, crummy feelings. Ah, but now the enemy is visible. The sins are specific. They’ve come out of hiding. I look them in the eye. I’m not whining about feeling crummy. I’m apologizing to Christ for not doing specific things that he commanded.


I’m broken, and I’m angry at my sin. I want to kill it, not me. I’m not suicidal. I’m a sin-hater and a sin-murderer. (“Put to death what is earthly in you,” Colossians 3:5; “Put to death the deeds of the body,” Romans 8:13.) I want to live. That’s why I’m a killer — of my sin!


In this conflict, I hear the promise, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Peace rises.


Now, prayer feels possible and right and powerful again.



John Piper 

Bible Study


1 John 1:7


[7] But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.


Romans 3:26


[26] It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.


Psalm 143:1


My Soul Thirsts for You


A Psalm of David.


    [1] Hear my prayer, O LORD;

        give ear to my pleas for mercy!

        In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!


Psalm 51:3


    [3] For I know my transgressions,

        and my sin is ever before me.

Saturday, January 27, 2024

Do You Have a Small View of God?


PRAY OVER THIS


“Who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.” Romans 4:18-21

 

PONDER THIS


People with weak faith often have a small view of God. If your faith is weak, you need to get to know God. The Bible says, “And those who know Your name will put their trust in You” (Psalm 9:10). Glance at your problem, but gaze at your God. Verse 18 says of Abraham, “Who, contrary to hope, in hope believed.” Do you think you’re hopeless? Do you think God is finished with you or never got started with you? Do you think other people can know God but not you? God sent me here to tell you that God has hope for you.


Abraham looked at God who can bring life out of death and make something out of nothing, and said, “I am going to believe in that God!” Don’t look at yourself or your problems and say you’re hopeless. You are not! God can bring life to you, and God will make something out of you. The only thing God makes something out of is nothing, and so if you’ll become nothing, He’ll make something out of you. It’s time you stop relying on yourself and hope in God.


When have you felt hopeless? How do you respond in these moments?

What would it look like to turn to God in your hopeless moment?


PRACTICE THIS


Tell God about the areas in which you feel hopeless and discouraged. Submit to Him and trust Him with those things.



LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

He Knows Your Need


“Do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.” (Matthew 6:31–32)


Jesus wants his followers to be free from worry. In Matthew 6:25–34, he gives at least seven arguments designed to take away our anxiety. One of them lists food and drink and clothing, and then says, “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all” (Matthew 6:32).


Jesus must mean that God’s knowing is accompanied by his desiring to meet our need. He is emphasizing we have a Father. And this Father is better than any earthly father.


I have five children. I love to meet their needs. But my knowing falls short of God’s knowing in at least three ways.


First, right now I don’t know where any of my children are. I could guess. They’re in their homes or at work or school, healthy and safe. But they might be lying on a sidewalk with a heart attack.


Second, I don’t know what is in their heart at any given moment. I can guess from time to time. But they may be feeling some fear or hurt or anger or lust or greed or joy or hope. I can’t see their hearts. They don’t even know their own hearts perfectly.


Third, I don’t know their future. Right now they may seem well and steady. But tomorrow some great sorrow may befall them.


This means I can’t be for them a very strong reason not to worry. There are things that may be happening to them now, or may happen tomorrow, that I do not even know about. But it is totally different with their Father in heaven. Our Father in heaven! He knows everything about us, where we are, now and tomorrow, inside and out. He sees every need.


Add to that, his huge eagerness to meet our needs. Remember the “much more” of Matthew 6:30, “If God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you?”


Add to that his complete ability to do what he is eager to do (he feeds billions of birds hourly, around the world, Matthew 6:26).


So join me in trusting the promise of Jesus to meet our needs. That’s what Jesus is calling for when he says, “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.”



John Piper 

Bible Study


Genesis 18:14


[14] Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.”


Hebrews 11:19


[19] He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.


Job 42:2


    [2] “I know that you can do all things,

        and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.


Luke 1:37


[37] For nothing will be impossible with God.”