Tag: sin

Scripture for Saturday, October 22 (10/22)

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Death of Jesus Christ, faith, Saved from hellLeave a comment

The scripture for today, October 22, is Hebrews 10:22 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

WORSHIP THE FIRST-CENTURY WAY-COVER-KINDLE“Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”

The previous verse said that Jesus is the great (high) priest over the house of God (the church). Therefore the sprinkling refers to the sprinkling of blood the high priests did on the Day of Atonement once a year. (See Leviticus 16 in the Old Testament.) Now our hearts (which we cannot see or touch) are sprinkled with the blood of Jesus.

And how are we to be cleansed from that guilty conscience with our bodies (which we can see and touch) being washed? I Peter 3:21 says, “Even so does baptism now save us, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience toward God.”

We do not have to guess whether we were sincere enough when we gave our heart to the Lord. Our conscience never has to wonder if we did it right. For God gave us something we can actually do to give us a good and clear conscience toward him.

From henceforth, we can draw near to God in full assurance. Full! Not partial. Not wondering. Not with ups and downs of faith. But full! God thinks of everything!

#Conscience, #Sin, #Guilt, #Blood, #Wood, #Water

Scripture for Friday, October 14 (10/14)

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The scripture for today, October 14, is John 10:14 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-Heroes-Alone-COVER-KINDLE“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me ~ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father ~ and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

How amazing that Jesus is willing to follow us when we do not follow him, and bring us back to his protective fold. He died while doing just that.

Yet we continue to leave him and his instructions that would keep us safe, and we wander into thistles, near cliffs, into pits. This requires more work for Jesus. Yet we do it anyway. Catch me if you can! We may laugh, but he weeps because he knows the danger we are headed for.

How much grief do we give our spiritual Father, our spiritual Big Brother, our spiritual family? If they are not laughing over what we’re doing, perhaps we should not be either.

God, forgive us when we wander from You.

#SelfWill, #Stubbornness, #Danger, #Sheep, #Shepherd, #Sin

Scripture for Tuesday, October 11 (10/11)

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The scripture for today, October 11, is Psalm 10:11 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

Clouds in blue sky“He says to himself, ‘God has forgotten; he covers his face and never sees.’ “

Most of us believe in God in some form. And we believe that God knows what we do. But do we sometimes bury our belief in God in our subconscious mind so we can go around and do things we know are wrong? Do we believe we won’t get caught, and we can slide into heaven doing whatever we want?

In other words, do we justify our favorite sins? Or do we justify our sins of omission ~ good things we should be doing, but are not ~ under the excuse that we don’t have time to do good to others?

God loves us more than we can ever imagine. He never forgets us. The only things he doesn’t approve of are things that will ultimately hurt us and which he calls sin. Therefore, we can conclude that pleasing God is ultimately at the end of all things, pleasing ourselves.

#sin, #justifying

Scripture for Wednesday, September 21 (9/21)

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The scripture for today, September 21, is Hebrews 9:21f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-BOOK 7-SHADOW OF DEATH-Cover“In the same way, he [Moses] sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.”

The wages we earn when we sin is death (Romans 6:23). Death means separation. In a physical sense, we are separated from people living on earth. In a spiritual sense, we are separated from God in heaven. God is life, and cannot dwell with death. It is not in his nature.

But he loves us dearly. So he sent a final blood sacrifice for us ~ his own Son, the perfect Lamb of God ~ to shed his blood in our place, to collect the terrible wages of our sin for us ~ so mankind could be forgiven of our sins.

What a God we have! Let us fall at his feet and worship.

#sin, #death, sacrifice

Scripture for Saturday, September 17 (9/17)

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The scripture for today, September 17, is Nehemiah 9:17 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

REV-Cover-Kindle“They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore, you did not desert them.”

Such love! We rebel against God (who is only trying to save us from Satan and hell) over and over because we don’t want anyone telling us what to do, and God forgives over and over.

First Peter 3:9 says “The Lord…is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

God could turn us all into robots and force us to obey him. But that wouldn’t be Love. God is Love, and he cannot go against his own nature. And so he follows us around and pleads over and over, “Follow my Son to safety!”

How he hurts when we do not; how he smiles when we do.

#Sin, #Forgiveness

Scripture for Tuesday, August 2 (8/2)

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The scripture for today, August 2, is Matthew 8:2 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

PAUL COVER-KINDLE-A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.’ Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be clean!’ Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.’ “

People in Jesus’ day who had leprosy had to live outside of town in what we would call a leper colony. And if someone without leprosy started getting close to them, they were required to call out, “Unclean! Unclean!”

But here was a man who apparently pushed his way through a crowd where he didn’t belong. He didn’t ask Jesus if he could heal him; he asked if he was willing to. After all, he was “unclean”. Remarkably, Jesus said yes.

Then Jesus did another remarkable thing: He touched the man. He touched the leprosy. Not only was he willing to be seen with an unclean man, he was willing to touch him.

Jesus still does this today. When we come to him with a diseased heart wondering if we are good enough, Jesus reaches out across the centuries and touches us. And his voice echoes across the centuries and says, “I am willing.”

No matter how much sin mars your life, Jesus still today can say, “Be clean.”

DISCUSSION QUESTION: IS THERE ANYTHING IN YOUR LIFE THAT MAKES YOU FEEL SO UNCLEAN JESUS CANNOT HEAL IT?

Scripture for Saturday, July 23 (7/23)

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The scripture for today, July 23, is 1st Corinthians 7:23 in the New Testament of the Bible.

0-BOOK 7-SHADOW OF DEATH-Cover“You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.”

Who were you bought from? Satan. Romans 3:23 says everyone sins and falls short of the glory of God. God, who is perfection, cannot dwell with us. It would be like light dwelling with darkness. It cannot be done.

But God loved you so much, he figured out a way to make you sinless. He sent his son, Jesus, to live that perfect life that is impossible for you to live. Romans 6:23 says the wages of sin is death. So Jesus drew those wages in your place. He took the blame for all your sins onto himself and died spiritually and physically in your place.

Then God told the world through his Bible that, if you will believe this really happened and follow his will for you, he will consider you perfect too. Until that happens, you are a slave to what men tell you to do ~ and of Satan.

You were bought at great price ~ the blood of Jesus Christ.

Scripture for Wednesday, July 20(7/20)

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The scripture for today, July 20, is Ecclesiastes 7:20 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

WORSHIP THE FIRST-CENTURY WAY-COVER-KINDLE“There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.”

Many people believe if we don’t murder or steal, and if we help people poorer than ourselves, and aren’t mean to our family, God will have no choice but to let us into heaven. But it only takes one sin to be a sinner.

God ~ who is Perfect Goodness ~ cannot dwell with sin. But mankind has never figured out a way to be perfectly good. Remember, the cost of sin is death (Romans 6:23). So in Old Testament days, God allowed people to kill perfect animals as a substitute for paying the cost of our sins ~ temporarily.

Then Jesus came. He became that perfectly good person (Hebrews 4:15) ~ that perfect Lamb of God (John 1:29). Then he died in our place to pay the cost of our sins ~ permanently. Now all he asks is that we love him, thank him, worship him, follow his examples and his commands (there aren’t many). Then, God the Father will consider us perfect too. Then we will be accepted into heaven.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: Acts 2:38 says to be baptized for the forgiveness of our sins, not because our sins have already been forgiven, but so they will be. It is no more water salvation than the cross was wood salvation. Have you been baptized for the forgiveness of your sins?  Why?

Scripture for Tuesday, July 19 (7/19)

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Bible, Daily, InspirationalLeave a comment

The scripture for today, July 19, is found in Romans 7:19 as found in the New Testament of the Bible.

PAUL COVER-KINDLE-“For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do ~ this I keep on doing.”

Doesn’t this pretty much describe all of us in some area of our life? It may be eating too much, breaking the law by going over the speed limit, laughing at dirty jokes, habitual lying, stealing “little things” at work, cheating on tests, jealousy ~ any number of things. Sins of habit and attitude are hard to break.

So we go to God over and over asking him to forgive that which, deep down, we know we’re going to do again.

Perhaps this emphasizes the importance of us forgiving others who habitually do wrong to us. We do not know their battles any more than they know our battles.

Jesus said, “If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” (Matthew 6:14).

Satan wants us to quit trying to do better. And he wants us to quit forgiving each other. Let us not give in to Satan. Let us give in to God. God’s way leads to ultimate forgiveness.

QUESTION: When you think about your own sins you do over and over, how does that help you forgive others?  CLICK REPLY BELOW.

Scripture for Friday, July 1 (7/1)

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The scripture for today, July 1, is Leviticus 7:1f as found in the Old Testament of the Bible.

0-BOOK 7-SHADOW OF DEATH-Cover“These are the regulations for the guilt offering, which is most holy. The guilt offering is to be slaughtered in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered, and its blood is to be sprinkled against the altar on all sides.”

Romans 3:23 says the wages of sin is death. The price was paid over and over with perfect animal sacrifices in the Old Testament. But Jesus nailed the Old Law to the cross (Colossians 2:14), and with his one sacrifice made it so that no more blood sacrifices were necessary (Hebrews 8-9).

In a sense, Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God, laid down on the altar of the world where his blood flowed from all sides of the cross to all sides of the earth.

Jesus paid the penalty for our sins in our place. Do you ever thank him?