Missionary Renegade: Reflecting God’s Devotions for Holy Living – Wednesday, 22 January 2014 “The Right Formula for the Best Protection” and Thursday, 23 January 2014 “To Buy or Not to Buy, That’s the Question”

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Reflecting God’s Devotions for Holy Living – Wednesday, 22 January 2014 “The Right Formula for the Best Protection” and Thursday, 23 January 2014 “To Buy or Not to Buy, That’s the Question”

Reflecting God’s Devotions for Holy Living – Wednesday, 22 January 2014 “The Right Formula for the Best Protection” and Thursday, 23 January 2014 “To Buy or Not to Buy, That’s the Question” Scripture James 4: Friendship with the World

1 Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? 2 You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet[a] something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures. 4 Adulterers! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose that it is for nothing that the scripture says, “God[b] yearns jealously for the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives all the more grace; therefore it says,

“God opposes the proud,

but gives grace to the humble.”

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Warning against Judging Another

11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers and sisters.[c] Whoever speaks evil against another or judges another, speaks evil against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is one lawgiver and judge who is able to save and to destroy. So who, then, are you to judge your neighbor?

Footnotes:

a. James 4:2 Or you murder and you covet

b. James 4:5 Gk He

c. James 4:11 Gk brothers

Hebrews 9: The Earthly and the Heavenly Sanctuaries

1 Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary. 2 For a tent[a] was constructed, the first one, in which were the lampstand, the table, and the bread of the Presence;[b] this is called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a tent[c] called the Holy of Holies. 4 In it stood the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which there were a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; 5 above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat.[d] Of these things we cannot speak now in detail.

6 Such preparations having been made, the priests go continually into the first tent[e] to carry out their ritual duties; 7 but only the high priest goes into the second, and he but once a year, and not without taking the blood that he offers for himself and for the sins committed unintentionally by the people. 8 By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the sanctuary has not yet been disclosed as long as the first tent[f] is still standing. 9 This is a symbol[g] of the present time, during which gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, 10 but deal only with food and drink and various baptisms, regulations for the body imposed until the time comes to set things right.

11 But when Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come,[h] then through the greater and perfect[i] tent[j] (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation), 12 he entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, with the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit[k] offered himself without blemish to God, purify our[l] conscience from dead works to worship the living God!

15 For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, because a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions under the first covenant.[m]

Footnotes:

a. Hebrews 9:2 Or tabernacle

b. Hebrews 9:2 Gk the presentation of the loaves

c. Hebrews 9:3 Or tabernacle

d. Hebrews 9:5 Or the place of atonement

e. Hebrews 9:6 Or tabernacle

f. Hebrews 9:8 Or tabernacle

g. Hebrews 9:9 Gk parable

h. Hebrews 9:11 Other ancient authorities read good things to come

i. Hebrews 9:11 Gk more perfect

j. Hebrews 9:11 Or tabernacle

k. Hebrews 9:14 Other ancient authorities read Holy Spirit

l. Hebrews 9:14 Other ancient authorities read your

m. Hebrews 9:15 The Greek word used here means both covenant and will

“The Right Formula for the Best Protection” and “To Buy or Not to Buy, That’s the Question” by Christian Sarmiento

Today’s scripture gives us the best formula to abide in God.

The first component is “Submit yourselves, then, to God.” This is an act of the will. It is surrendering your sovereignty to God. This is an act of humbleness that God honors: “‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble’” (James 4:6). Surrender will put you under the protection of the Almighty God.

The next action is to “resist the devil.” How do we do that? James tells us how: “Come near to God and he will come near to you.” The devil will not get close to you if you are close to God and God is close to you! Blessed protection!

The consequence is obvious: The devil “will flee from you.” Well, the real principle is that the devil is always fleeing from God. Wherever God is, the devil is far away from there.

Christ expressed the same principle: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). A simple formula! Submission to God + Closeness to God = Blessed protection from the Devil.

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The expression, “How much more, then” in Hebrews 1 is a comparison: the value of “the blood of goats” (v. 13) with the “the blood of Christ” (v. 14). When purchasing an item, the decision to buy or not to buy depends on how much a person has compared to the cost of the item. Christ’s cost for our salvation “was not with perishable things such as silver or gold . . . but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Pet. 1:18-19). His blood is the most valuable and priceless cost paid for anything.

“God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son” (John 3:16a). The graceful initiative of God to love “the world” is whole heartily embraced by “Christ [who] loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Eph. 5:25).

The only price that could secure our salvation is Jesus Christ’s atoning death. If “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,” “how much more, then, will the blood of Christ . . . cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” (Heb. 9:14).

Hymn for Today:

“A Mighty Fortress” by Martin Luther translated by Frederick H. Hedge

1. A mighty fortress is our God,

a bulwark never failing;

our helper he amid the flood

of mortal ills prevaling.

For still our ancient foe

doth seek to work us woe;

his craft and power are great,

and armed with cruel hate,

on earth is not his equal.

2. Did we in our own strength confide,

our striving would be losing,

were not the right man on our side,

the man of God's own choosing.

Dost ask who that may be?

Christ Jesus, it is he;

Lord Sabaoth, his name,

from age to age the same,

and he must win the battle.

3. And though this world, with devils filled,

should threaten to undo us,

we will not fear, for God hath willed

his truth to triumph through us.

The Prince of Darkness grim,

we tremble not for him;

his rage we can endure,

for lo, his doom is sure;

one little word shall fell him.

4. That word above all earthly powers,

no thanks to them, abideth;

the Spirit and the gifts are ours,

thru him who with us sideth.

Let goods and kindred go,

this mortal life also;

the body they may kill;

God's truth abideth still;

his kingdom is forever.

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“Nothing but the Blood” by Robert Lowry

1. What can wash away my sin?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

What can make me whole again?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Refrain:

O precious is the flow

that makes me white as snow;

no other fount I know;