Psalm 31:19-24
I've often heard people proclaim, "God is good!" when all is going well, but then doubt His benevolence when the blessings they envisioned don't materialize. Because God alone is good, only He can accurately determine what is best for each person. His kindness is expressed in more ways than simply provision of wealth, health, and relationships. Some of His gifts are experiences we would never choose, but the Lord knows we need them in order to grow in faith, obedience, and perseverance. Consider the following expressions of God's goodness toward us:
• Loving discipline. Since God's love is unfailing, He corrects us when we refuse to follow Him and instead go our own way. The process is painful, but the result is "the peaceful fruit of righteousness" (Heb. 12:11).
• Wise Limitations. Satan offers a world of opportunities and possessions that seem to promise happiness but ultimately draw us away from God. With great wisdom, the Lord lovingly withholds those things that prove detrimental to our spiritual life.
• Useful suffering. God knows which refining experiences we need in order to become fruitful and useful in His Kingdom. What appears to us as a valley of weeping is God's valley of preparation for godliness and service.
It can be tempting to interpret God's character on the basis of our circumstances. If evidence compels us to doubt His goodness, we must remember that while His gifts come in a variety of wrappings, they are always beneficial. As Psalm 34:8 says, "O taste and see that the Lord is good."
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
What Is the Unpardonable Sin?
Matthew 12:22-32
In Matthew 12, Jesus talked about the unpardonable sin. Christians sometimes misconstrue His comments and end up fearful that they could commit an unforgivable offense. The context of today's passage helps us understand why that is not the case.
Christ used the power of the Holy Spirit to heal a demon-possessed man who was deaf and mute. Amazed onlookers began to suspect He was the promised Messiah (v. 22), so religious leaders tried to quell the crowd's growing excitement: they claimed the Lord was Satan's fellow worker, who had used the Devil's power to accomplish this miracle. Christ refuted their statement and in verse 32 said, "Whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him."
Jesus' comments addressed a very specific situation unique to His time. Though the Pharisees had themselves seen the Lord heal many people through the Spirit, they attributed the miraculous work to Satan. Jesus declared that this sin—claiming that God's Holy Spirit was the unclean spirit of the Devil—was unforgivable.
The sin was blasphemy, done deliberately and without repentance, by knowledgeable religious people, despite irrefutable evidence to the contrary. This situation—personally witnessing Jesus' miracles and blaspheming the Spirit—cannot be repeated today.
Numerous New Testament verses assure us that no iniquity committed today is beyond the scope of divine forgiveness. The unpardonable sin Jesus referred to was something that could take place only when He lived on earth. So if guilt threatens to overwhelm you, read Romans 8:1 with gratitude.
In Matthew 12, Jesus talked about the unpardonable sin. Christians sometimes misconstrue His comments and end up fearful that they could commit an unforgivable offense. The context of today's passage helps us understand why that is not the case.
Christ used the power of the Holy Spirit to heal a demon-possessed man who was deaf and mute. Amazed onlookers began to suspect He was the promised Messiah (v. 22), so religious leaders tried to quell the crowd's growing excitement: they claimed the Lord was Satan's fellow worker, who had used the Devil's power to accomplish this miracle. Christ refuted their statement and in verse 32 said, "Whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him."
Jesus' comments addressed a very specific situation unique to His time. Though the Pharisees had themselves seen the Lord heal many people through the Spirit, they attributed the miraculous work to Satan. Jesus declared that this sin—claiming that God's Holy Spirit was the unclean spirit of the Devil—was unforgivable.
The sin was blasphemy, done deliberately and without repentance, by knowledgeable religious people, despite irrefutable evidence to the contrary. This situation—personally witnessing Jesus' miracles and blaspheming the Spirit—cannot be repeated today.
Numerous New Testament verses assure us that no iniquity committed today is beyond the scope of divine forgiveness. The unpardonable sin Jesus referred to was something that could take place only when He lived on earth. So if guilt threatens to overwhelm you, read Romans 8:1 with gratitude.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Faithfulness through the Ages
Deuteronomy 7:8-10
God is the only One who never disappoints. From the beginning of time, His Word has remained true. Every prophecy is a promise that has been or will be fulfilled.
Perhaps the greatest of these foretellings were the ones that spoke of Messiah, and throughout the ages, God's people longed for His coming. Many prophets spoke about the Anointed One (2 Sam. 7:12-16; Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Dan. 9:25 niv; Micah 5:2;). Although there was no further prophecy on the subject during the four centuries leading up Christ's birth, when the time was right, Jesus came to reconcile mankind to the Father.
Surely, people must have questioned whether the Savior would ever come. After all, 400 years is a long time to wait without any word. But, as history proves, God never falls short on His promises. He is trustworthy, even when His timetable differs from what we hoped.
Knowing this, we can read Scripture's assurances with expectation. For instance, if we believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior and choose to follow Him, the Bible promises our salvation. We can rest assured that we are forgiven and redeemed. What's more, nothing can separate us from God's love (Rom. 8:38-39), and we can trust that He will provide everything we need to accomplish His purpose in our lives.
These are but three foundational promises; the Word contains many more. Consider God's faithfulness throughout Bible times and in your own life, and realize that He will be steadfast in the future as well. By living obediently, you can have full confidence that He will do all He has promised.
God is the only One who never disappoints. From the beginning of time, His Word has remained true. Every prophecy is a promise that has been or will be fulfilled.
Perhaps the greatest of these foretellings were the ones that spoke of Messiah, and throughout the ages, God's people longed for His coming. Many prophets spoke about the Anointed One (2 Sam. 7:12-16; Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Dan. 9:25 niv; Micah 5:2;). Although there was no further prophecy on the subject during the four centuries leading up Christ's birth, when the time was right, Jesus came to reconcile mankind to the Father.
Surely, people must have questioned whether the Savior would ever come. After all, 400 years is a long time to wait without any word. But, as history proves, God never falls short on His promises. He is trustworthy, even when His timetable differs from what we hoped.
Knowing this, we can read Scripture's assurances with expectation. For instance, if we believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior and choose to follow Him, the Bible promises our salvation. We can rest assured that we are forgiven and redeemed. What's more, nothing can separate us from God's love (Rom. 8:38-39), and we can trust that He will provide everything we need to accomplish His purpose in our lives.
These are but three foundational promises; the Word contains many more. Consider God's faithfulness throughout Bible times and in your own life, and realize that He will be steadfast in the future as well. By living obediently, you can have full confidence that He will do all He has promised.
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