Bible League: Living His Word And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love.— Romans 8:38 NLT Do you need a word of encouragement, a word of hope? Are there struggles in your life with sin or sorrow? Read Romans 8, a chapter rich in truth and power. Starting in chapter 7 beginning at verse 14, the apostle Paul wrestles with our sin nature and God's law. If Paul had ended with Romans 7:24, it would feel hopeless. BUT he doesn't. Romans 7:25 says, "Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord." Do you ruminate on negative and condemning thoughts? Speak Romans 8:1: "There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus." There is power in speaking God's Word out loud. Not only does it activate your sense of hearing, but also if there is demonic presence involved, the enemy must flee. There is a difference between conviction from the Holy Spirit and condemnation from our flesh or the enemy. Conviction leads to repentance and a restored relationship with the Lord. Condemnation is shame-based and leads to death in our soul. Condemnation hinders our walk with Christ and others. Is the voice you are hearing leading you to Christ or away from Christ? "Letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace," (Romans 8:6). When we deeply believe the truths of the Bible, we are empowered to live them out. Yes, we need to be able to filter the lies so deeply embedded in our culture, and we need the Spirit's revelation and empowerment. We also need one another. "You have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, 'Abba, Father.' For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children,". (verses 15-16). In Christ, we have great privilege and power to call on Abba Father in our time of need and struggle. He hears and responds as the Spirit intervenes for us. God is working all things out for our good conforming us to the image of His Son (verses 26-29). This brings us back to the Gospel. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us (verse 34). Is Jesus Christ your Lord? Have you trusted Christ as the only way of salvation through His death and resurrection for your sin? If so, every promise is yours. Speak His truth to yourself. If not, talk to the Lord now and surrender your will to His. (Reread Romans 8.). Peace and rest are found in Christ through the love of the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit. All suffering is temporary. God uses the chisel of pain to refine our faith and make us more like Jesus. In Christ, you are loved, chosen, and cherished. You belong to God's family for all eternity. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. By Debbie Mesin, Bible League International staff, Illinois USA Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingPsalm 124-127 Psalm 124 -- If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, let Israel now say, NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Psalm 125 -- Those who trust in the Lord are as Mount Zion, which can't be moved NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Psalm 126 -- When the Lord brought back those who returned to Zion NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Psalm 127 -- Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading 1 Corinthians 7:1-24 1 Corinthians 7 -- Paul's Instructions on Marriage NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.Insight When a vine bears “much fruit,” God is glorified, for daily he sent the sunshine and rain to make the crops grow, and constantly he nurtured each tiny plant and prepared it to blossom. Challenge What a moment of glory for the Lord of the harvest when the harvest is brought into the barns, mature and ready for use! He made it all happen! This farming analogy shows how God is glorified when people come into a right relationship with him and begin to “produce much fruit” in their lives. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Songs 2:3 His fruit was sweet to my taste.Faith, in the Scripture, is spoken of under the emblem of all the senses. It is sight: "Look unto me and be ye saved." It is hearing: "Hear, and your soul shall live." Faith is smelling: "All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia;" "thy name is as ointment poured forth." Faith is spiritual touch. By this faith the woman came behind and touched the hem of Christ's garment, and by this we handle the things of the good word of life. Faith is equally the spirit's taste. "How sweet are thy words to my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my lips." "Except a man eat my flesh," saith Christ, "and drink my blood, there is no life in him." This "taste" is faith in one of its highest operations. One of the first performances of faith is hearing. We hear the voice of God, not with the outward ear alone, but with the inward ear; we hear it as God's Word, and we believe it to be so; that is the "hearing" of faith. Then our mind looketh upon the truth as it is presented to us; that is to say, we understand it, we perceive its meaning; that is the "seeing" of faith. Next we discover its preciousness; we begin to admire it, and find how fragrant it is; that is faith in its "smell." Then we appropriate the mercies which are prepared for us in Christ; that is faith in its "touch." Hence follow the enjoyments, peace, delight, communion; which are faith in its "taste." Any one of these acts of faith is saving. To hear Christ's voice as the sure voice of God in the soul will save us; but that which gives true enjoyment is the aspect of faith wherein Christ, by holy taste, is received into us, and made, by inward and spiritual apprehension of his sweetness and preciousness, to be the food of our souls. It is then we sit "under his shadow with great delight," and find his fruit sweet to our taste. Daily Light on the Daily Path Isaiah 51:1 "Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, Who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were hewn And to the quarry from which you were dug.Psalm 51:5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. Ezekiel 16:5,6 "No eye looked with pity on you to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you. Rather you were thrown out into the open field, for you were abhorred on the day you were born. • "When I passed by you and saw you squirming in your blood, I said to you while you were in your blood, 'Live!' Yes, I said to you while you were in your blood, 'Live!' Psalm 40:2,3 He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. • He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear And will trust in the LORD. Romans 5:6-8 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. • For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. • But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Ephesians 2:4,5 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, • even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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