Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight. (Proverbs 11:1)
How you transact business says something about your integrity. The dishonest person uses a heavy weight to measure his purchases (so he gets more product than he deserves), and he sells using a lighter weight (so he makes more profit than is rightfully his). Be honest in all your transactions. For example, do not accept too much change back when making a purchase (it is money that doesn’t belong to you). Pay the full amount agreed upon when making a purchase (to do otherwise is stealing). God knows whether you are honest when you buy and sell. He is pleased when He sees your honesty in every transaction you make.
1 Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. 2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear. (Isaiah 59:1-2)
Let’s be honest. It is your own sin that has separated you from God, from those you love and from those who love you. Choices were made to disobey God’s truth and His way of righteousness. Unless you take responsibility for your sins you will not be able to repent. Do not blame God or those who love you when your sinful choices bring separation, hurt, loneliness and despair. It doesn’t have to be that way, you know. God is ready to hear you and save you. The isolation your sin has produced can be replaced with joyful acceptance by God and by all who love you in the Lord. Choosing sin only brings you pain and eternal death. Choose life. Choose to repent and be saved. Choose God.
42 For He remembered His holy promise, And Abraham His servant. 43 He brought out His people with joy, His chosen ones with gladness. 44 He gave them the lands of the Gentiles, and they inherited the labor of the nations, 45 that they might observe His statutes and keep His laws. Praise the LORD! (Psalm 105:42-45)
God keeps His promises. He promised to give Abraham, Isaac and Jacob “the land of Canaan as the allotment of your inheritance”, and He did (Gen. 15:18; Psa. 105:11, 44). Joshua confirmed God’s fidelity in keeping His land promise (Josh. 21:43). The fact that God keeps His word should compel us to “observe His statutes and keep His laws” He has given us in Christ. Jesus said, “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say” (Lk. 6:46)? Christ promises to eternally save those who believe and obey Him (Heb. 5:8-9). He also promises to eternally punish “those who do not know God” and “those who do not obey the gospel” (2 Thess. 1:8). Yes, God keeps His promises. Which one of these promises will He keep in your case? That, my friend, depends on what you choose to believe and do.
8 Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?” 9 Some said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.” He said, “I am he.” 10 Therefore they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered and said, “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received sight.” (John 9:8-11)
What if you had been this blind man? Would you have gone to the pool of Siloam and washed as Jesus instructed? Or, would you have said, “any water will wash the mud off my eyes – why should I go to that pool?” It would take faith to do what Jesus said. If you did wash your eyes like this man, would you have earned the right to have your sight restored? No, and neither did this man. God was gracious to him when he put his faith in Jesus and followed His instructions. Yet today, when the same Jesus says “He who believes and is baptized will be saved…”, many sinners object (Mk. 16:16). Why not have the faith to go to the water and be baptized to be saved (to have your spiritual sight restored)? You will not earn anything when you do. You will be saved “by grace, through faith”. We cannot expect to be saved if we do not have the faith to do what Jesus said.
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (James 5:16)
There is power in prayer for the people of God. Sins are forgiven when they are confessed to one another and as prayers ascend to the throne of grace for divine mercy. The unrighteous have no assurance of effective prayer; it is the prayers of the righteous that are heard and answered by the Father. Prayer for someone today, and also seek the prayers of the righteous.
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. (Galatians 6:7-8)
It is not as if we do not know this simple principle – we reap according to what we have sown. Nonetheless, sin can deceive us into thinking this timeless truth does not apply to us in spiritual matters. Untold millions upon millions are unwilling to admit “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). They convince themselves they can plant the seeds of sinful living yet reap the harvest of eternal life. But, God will not be mocked. We cannot live like the devil on His earth and expect Him to usher us into His heaven (a place of holiness, undefiled by sin). What you will reap on that last great day depends on what you plant today. Where will you spend your eternity?
41 Let Your mercies come also to me, O LORD—Your salvation according to Your word. 42 So shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me, for I trust in Your word. (Psalm 119:41-42)
The mercies of God are not ours to dispense as we see fit. The salvation of God is available to all, but only “according to Your word”. God’s word reveals salvation – not our feelings, opinions and desires. It is the height of presumption to expect God to save sinners in some way other than how His word teaches (Matt. 7:21-23). Trust God’s word to answer every reproach. Be faithful according to His word and the mercies of God will come to you (see Rom. 12:1).
1 Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, 2 “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” 3 He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, ‘HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER’; and, ‘HE WHO CURSES FATHER OR MOTHER, LET HIM BE PUT TO DEATH.’ 5 But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”—6 then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. (Matthew 15:1-6)
A tradition is that which is handed down from one party to another. Many traditions are harmless. But in this instance, the “tradition of the elders” concerning washing and eating was being bound upon Christ’s disciples as if it were from God; It was not. Jesus rebuked the scribes and Pharisees for replacing God’s commandments with their traditions. Be careful not to bind your traditions on others as if they are from God. And, be careful to honor God’s commandments above any tradition man attempts to impose at the expense of obeying God.
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:5-8)
The humility of Christ Jesus prompted his full submission to the Father’s will in order to accomplish human redemption. Although Jesus did not divest himself of his deity to become human, he did leave the glorious splendor of deity when he became flesh (see Jno. 17:5; Matt. 17:2). He humbled himself still more by dying on the cross. Jesus sacrificed heaven’s glory, submitted himself fully to the Father’s will and steadfastly obeyed even unto death. We are called upon to have the same mind of humility Jesus had. Live for God and not yourself. Sacrifice your self-interests to serve others. Steadfastly maintain humility and the Lord will lift you up (Jas. 4:10).
6 But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you… (2 Thessalonians 3:6-7)
Christians are commanded by nothing less than the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ to withdraw from “every brother” who “walks disorderly” . We learn several important truths here. First, God commands faithful Christians to discipline disobedient Christians by withdrawing their social contact from the unrepentant Christian (“do not keep company with him”, 2 Thess. 3:14). Those who refuse to obey this command become disorderly themselves. Second, a Christian who refuses to repent of sin is lost (“disorderly”) and must become “ashamed” of his sin in order to repent (2 Thess. 3:14). The stated purpose for withdrawing from the disorderly Christian is “to admonish him as a brother” (2 Thess. 3:15). Third, a command from the apostles carries the weight of heaven’s authority. If one refuses to obey the apostles he is refusing the commandment of the Lord. Four, when we follow the apostles we walk orderly and have God’s approval. Let us walk orderly by following the apostles’ teaching.
“And take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Eph. 6:17)
Sword Tips 