“When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her [the woman caught in adultery]."
When we find it easy to identify the sin of others, God wants us to be reminded of how important it is for us to take a rigorously honest inventory of our own faithfulness. He wants us to deal with our own sin before we evaluate anyone else.
Matthew 7:13-14
“[Jesus said,] "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
Over two decades ago, Juan Carlos Ortiz criticized European and American evangelists for offering a carrot stick gospel that focused on the pay off and not lordship of Jesus. Jesus, especially in Matthew 7, reminds us that grace does not dismiss discipleship and mercy does not release us from our need to genuinely repent.
We must accept the grace that is given us and truly let Jesus be Lord of our lives. It's not an either-or proposition, but a both-and call from God to receive grace and to follow Jesus as Lord.
Romans 8:9
“You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.”
We show who is in control in our lives by the way we live! We show our relationship to the Father by living with his character in our world. So let's live under the control of the Spirit — obeying the Spirit's inspired Word and following the Spirit's lead — so we can show and share Jesus in what we say and do!
Isaiah 54:5
“For your Maker is your husband — the LORD Almighty is his name — the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth.”
"For God so loved the world..." "The Father, from whom every family on earth derives its name..." God is not just the God of Israel. The LORD God, ruler of heaven and earth, is the God of all nations and one day, "every knee will bow and every tongue will confess... that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father."
When we find it easy to identify the sin of others, God wants us to be reminded of how important it is for us to take a rigorously honest inventory of our own faithfulness. He wants us to deal with our own sin before we evaluate anyone else.
Matthew 7:13-14
“[Jesus said,] "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
Over two decades ago, Juan Carlos Ortiz criticized European and American evangelists for offering a carrot stick gospel that focused on the pay off and not lordship of Jesus. Jesus, especially in Matthew 7, reminds us that grace does not dismiss discipleship and mercy does not release us from our need to genuinely repent.
We must accept the grace that is given us and truly let Jesus be Lord of our lives. It's not an either-or proposition, but a both-and call from God to receive grace and to follow Jesus as Lord.
Romans 8:9
“You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.”
We show who is in control in our lives by the way we live! We show our relationship to the Father by living with his character in our world. So let's live under the control of the Spirit — obeying the Spirit's inspired Word and following the Spirit's lead — so we can show and share Jesus in what we say and do!
Isaiah 54:5
“For your Maker is your husband — the LORD Almighty is his name — the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth.”
"For God so loved the world..." "The Father, from whom every family on earth derives its name..." God is not just the God of Israel. The LORD God, ruler of heaven and earth, is the God of all nations and one day, "every knee will bow and every tongue will confess... that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father."
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