Bible League: Living His Word We must not get tired of doing good. We will receive our harvest of eternal life at the right time. We must not give up.According to the Apostle Paul in Galatians 6, there are two ways we can live our lives. We can live to please our sinful selves, or we can live to please the Spirit of God. Each of these two ways reaps a harvest. If we live to please our sinful selves, then we will reap a harvest of eternal death. If we live to please the Spirit of God, then we will reap a harvest of eternal life (Galatians 6:7-8). Although the primary spiritual direction of a person who lives to please the sinful self stands in opposition to the Spirit of God, it is possible for such a person to do things the Spirit wants on occasion. Doing what the Spirit wants, however, is not the primary motivation. What truly motivates them is satisfying the sinful self. What truly motivates them is doing what they want to do. Although the primary spiritual direction of a person who lives to please the Spirit of God stands in opposition to the sinful self, it is possible for such a person to do what the sinful self wants on occasion (Romans 7:14-25). Doing what the sinful self wants, however, is not the primary motivation. What truly motivates them is satisfying the Spirit of God. What truly motivates them is what the Spirit wants them to do. Paul tells us that those who are motivated to please the Spirit of God should not get tired of doing it. Since they have a sinful self like everyone else, there is always the temptation to surrender to its motivations and desires. Doing so, however, jeopardizes the harvest of eternal life. Although they may fail to do good on occasion, they should not completely give up the desire to please the Spirit. Instead of giving up, we should confess our sin, receive God's forgiveness and cleansing (I John 1:9), and then get back on the pathway of life that pleases the Spirit of God. If we continue to live life this way, if we continue to follow the Spirit despite our failures, then we will receive eternal life at just the right time. That is, at the time that God has appointed. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingEsther 1, 2, 3 Esther 1 -- The Banquets of Xerxes; Queen Vashti Deposed NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Esther 2 -- Esther Becomes Queen; Mordecai Thwarts a Conspiracy NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Esther 3 -- Haman Seeks Revenge on the Jews NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Acts 5:1-16 Acts 5 -- Deaths of Ananias and Sapphira; Apostles Imprisoned, Released by an Angel; Gamaliel Speaks NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.Insight Jesus took time to pray. Challenge Finding time to pray is not easy, but prayer is the vital link between us and God. Like Jesus, we must break away from others to talk with God, even if we have to get up very early in the morning to do it! Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Psalm 45:2 Thou art fairer than the children of men.The entire person of Jesus is but as one gem, and his life is all along but one impression of the seal. He is altogether complete; not only in his several parts, but as a gracious all-glorious whole. His character is not a mass of fair colours mixed confusedly, nor a heap of precious stones laid carelessly one upon another; he is a picture of beauty and a breastplate of glory. In him, all the "things of good repute" are in their proper places, and assist in adorning each other. Not one feature in his glorious person attracts attention at the expense of others; but he is perfectly and altogether lovely. Oh, Jesus! thy power, thy grace, thy justice, thy tenderness, thy truth, thy majesty, and thine immutability make up such a man, or rather such a God-man, as neither heaven nor earth hath seen elsewhere. Thy infancy, thy eternity, thy sufferings, thy triumphs, thy death, and thine immortality, are all woven in one gorgeous tapestry, without seam or rent. Thou art music without discord; thou art many, and yet not divided; thou art all things, and yet not diverse. As all the colours blend into one resplendent rainbow, so all the glories of heaven and earth meet in thee, and unite so wondrously, that there is none like thee in all things; nay, if all the virtues of the most excellent were bound in one bundle, they could not rival thee, thou mirror of all perfection. Thou hast been anointed with the holy oil of myrrh and cassia, which thy God hath reserved for thee alone; and as for thy fragrance, it is as the holy perfume, the like of which none other can ever mingle, even with the art of the apothecary; each spice is fragrant, but the compound is divine. "Oh, sacred symmetry! oh, rare connection Of many perfects, to make one perfection! Oh, heavenly music, where all parts do meet In one sweet strain, to make one perfect sweet!" Daily Light on the Daily Path 1 Peter 2:21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,Mark 10:44,45 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. • "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." Acts 10:38 "You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Galatians 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:1 Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ-- I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent! Philippians 2:3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; Luke 23:34 But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves. Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. 1 John 2:6 the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. Hebrews 12:2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 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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