15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

1 Peter 1

¹³ Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. ¹⁴ As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. ¹⁵ But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; ¹⁶ for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

The question for me is - how am I to be holy?

A key answer I believe is found in Romans 12:2 where Paul says:

² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

The renewing of the mind is accomplished through scripture, prayer, worship, and fellowship.   Moreover, a balanced approach as I have read here seems an even better approach.

My Prayer: Lord, You are pure and holy like no other - and despite my failings You love me, have died for me, and chose me (before the beginning of time).  I am not worthy of this love and focus for I am broken and will continue to be broken and imperfect as sinful as I am.  I am thankful for all that You are and do for me and I am deep need for You to continue to be in my life as my Lord and Savior.  Lord Jesus, help me be holy and help me renew my mind and in so doing transform my heart and my life to be more like You.

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

1 Peter 1

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” v15

Peter is encouraging the early church in modern-day Turkey that they are to be set apart...to glorify God through what they do.

This verse which I am calling is out is sprinkled throughout the Bible:
- Leviticus 11:44
- Leviticus 19:2
- Ezekiel 36:23

First of all, we are made in God's image to glorify Him.  Second, we are called to being others to Him so others should desire God through what they see in us.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus - You are pure, holy and blameless...perfect.  All that You are, have done will do, is perfect.  Everything You have done for me and will do for me is perfect.  You know everything about me and what is good for me.  You love me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love.  I am weak, and I often do not glorify You through what I do.  Please forgive me Jesus!  Help me turn from such sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Help me be holy!  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal her of this cancer - thank You Jesus for the healing You have already provided!  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy....For I am the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

Leviticus 11

For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy....For I am the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. Leviticus 11:44-45

This morning, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - starting chapter eleven - Eating for God's Glory - covering Leviticus 11:1-47, looking specifically at the first theme - We Submit to God and His Word.  Here, the commentary unpacks the dietary laws specified by God here in Leviticus 11, and it starts to explore for believers the application we can takeaway from these instructions from God.  Although Biblical scholars have various theories about why God gave the Israelites dietary laws, the commentary briefly looks at a few of such theories, including one theory that posits such laws were motivated by encouraging better health.  The commentary is not definitive, but largely dismisses the theory that looks at health reasons, and instead encourages us to see a "two-fold explanation" that covers this chapter of the commentary.  The first commentary theme - We Submit to God and His Word - is our starting point.  Point blank - the Israelites were given these dietary laws and they were to follow these laws because God said so.  God does not need to give an explanation for His commands - He reigns and we must obey.  Although these dietary laws don't apply for believers (see John Piper post on this), the application remains the same - believers in Jesus that fall under the New/Second Covenant with Christ must obey every thing God says - because God says so.  The commentary uses the first unexplained command in the Bible (Genesis 2:16-17) and points out that although God did not explain the command, the serpent did in Genesis 3:5 and then of course Eve (and Adam) fell for the lie and trusted Satan more than trusting God.  Satan tempts us with lies all the time, every single day - and we must not fall for the trap like Adam and Eve did - we must trust God and fully submit to Him, even though we may not know why He asks us to do something, we are to obey.  This obedience to God is brought about by an ever increasing sanctification process as we mature in our relationship with Him.  The more we know about Him, the more we seek to please and glorify Him.

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God who loves me and who I can trust as You provide for all of my needs, physical, emotional, and spiritual.  You guide me, protect me and You sealed me for eternity!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings...not by a long shot.  I sin...harshness towards others, worry, gossip, etc.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.

Leviticus 19-20

You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. Leviticus 11:44-45, 19:2, 20:26, and 1 Peter 1:16

This morning, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - starting chapter seventeen - Holiness and Love - covering Leviticus 19-20, looking specifically at the first theme for the chapter - An Exhortation from God.  In the introduction to the chapter, the commentary briefly examines how we as humans can easily move from peace with God in one moment to sin (of course of many flavors).  The commentary then states how Leviticus 19 is often regarded "as the thematic center of the book[,]" and how "the largest themes of Leviticus are the holiness of God and the holiness of God's people; those are the themes for Leviticus 19-20.  For today - An Exhortation from God - focuses on v19:2, "[y]ou shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy" and how these words also appear in the Old Testament in Leviticus 11:44-45 and 20:26, and in the New Testament in 1 Peter 1:16. Believers should know that we exist to glorify God; therefore, we can better understand the importance of being holy as God seeks for us to represent Him to the world.  The commentary describes God's holiness as "He is different, other than, and He is unique in that He is perfectly righteous....Holiness is an intrinsic attribute of God's nature, and God expresses His holiness through what He does." The question of course believers are left with is: what does holiness mean?  The commentary indicates it will address this in the next sub-heading, which I will tackle tomorrow.

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God and You are holy, righteous, and perfect in all that You are and all that You do.  You have blessed me in so many ways I cannot simply describe all these ways. I am not deserving of how You bless me.  My sin of harshness and anger towards others continues, as do other sins such as worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

And [Jerusalem] shall be inhabited, for there shall never again be a decree of utter destruction.Jerusalem shall dwell in security.

Zechariah 14:10-21

And [Jerusalem] shall be inhabited, for there shall never again be a decree of utter destruction.Jerusalem shall dwell in security. Zechariah 14:11

I continue my study of the last four books of the OT (complete: Zephaniah, Haggai; to complete: Zechariah, Malachi) - using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book.  For today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Zechariah 14:10-21, which the commentary outlines as the fourth of four divisions for the text 13:2-14:21 (13:2-9, 14:1-3, 14:4-9, 14:10-21).  Here, the commentary describes this division with the title God’s Gracious Assurances to Us.  It shares that the end times prophecy delivered by God through Zechariah provides three assurances that give us hope and comfort now:

• Vv11-15: King Jesus will establish His kingdom: "[i]n light of the fact that Zechariah and his contemporaries were working hard to restore the ruined city of Jerusalem, this prophecy must have been especially encouraging."
• Vv16-19: All nations will worship King Jesus: Survivors from other nations that attack Jerusalem during the Battle of Armageddon are described as non-combatants or those who did not participate in the attack.  They are spared God's wrath and "they will come to Jerusalem each year for the Festival of Booths, which was a celebration of the harvest. It was a time of giving thanks and praise to the Lord."  These verses also describe a drought in Egypt which depended on rain overflowing the Nile to irrigate its crops.  We are encouraged here to be thankful for God during all times (1 Thessalonians 5:18), even when we perceive that blessings "dry-up," as the commentary shares "[w]e can be grateful that Jesus is gracious enough to care for us even when we neglect to give Him thanks. Still, we miss out on certain blessings when we fail to give God thanks. We can live our lives day by day giving thanks to King Jesus and worshiping Him because of the ways He has blessed us." 
  
• Vv20-21 provides assurance that "the holiness of King Jesus will prevail:"  Revelation 21 describes a New Jerusalem where every aspect of the city will be holy - the commentary shares: "[t]hough Jerusalem has often been called the “Holy City” in Scripture and in history, with Jesus reigning, Jerusalem will truly be holy. Every part of the city—to the smallest part, such as bells on horses and pots in cupboards—will be holy to the Lord because Jesus is ruling. His coming promises our certain victory."

Once again, believers should take comfort in the gift of prophecy, and how it offers us assurances that God has already defeated sin and death, and we should continue to endure through all of what we may experience in the brokenness of this world because ultimately God is saving a place for us in Heaven.  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who gives me the gift of prophecy to assure me that You have already defeated sin and death and that You are saving a place for me in Heaven.  Thank You Father God Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

...[D]o not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit....But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

Mark 13:1-23

...[D]o not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit....But the one who endures to the end will be saved. Mark 13:11, 13b

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 13:1-23.  Excerpts from the commentary's second (of three) division (vv9-13):

• The title of the second division per the commentary is "Persecution Can Be Expected, but Do Not Be Anxious." 
• "Not only will there be trouble on a global level; there will also be trials and persecutions on a personal level. Jesus again challenges His disciples to “be on your guard” (the same word as in verse 5). This is also a present imperative, a word of command. Why does He issue a second challenge to watchfulness? Difficult times are to be expected for faithful followers of King Jesus." 
• "All the ethne, all the people groups of the world, must hear this gospel before the end comes. So do not get discouraged." See v10.   
• Vv11 and 13 bring comfort as Jesus shares that we not be anxious as the Holy Spirit will be with us to help us and if we remain steadfast in our faith and endure to the end.  
• "Opposition from governmental and legal authorities will be harsh. Rejection by family and friends will be heartbreaking, but it will happen, so get ready. “Then brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise up against parents and put them to death.” The word “death” occurs twice, emphasizing the extent of the betrayal and persecution some will face. We will be arrested, beaten, betrayed, put to death, and even “hated,” all for the sake of King Jesus. While this may sound surreal and unfathomable in America, it is the experience of millions of brothers and sisters around the world today and throughout church history."  
• "Perseverance is the proof that our profession is real. It may be tough, but our Lord will be faithful to keep us by His power."

We are to "endure to the end."  Enduring starts with remaining in Him and He in us as described in John 15:1-10. Enduring also includes a posture of humility and prayer.  Believers also function as part of a church body with each part playing its role, and as described in 1 Corinthians 12:12-26, "God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose."  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God that saved me and who pours out mercies every day that never cease...thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of these mercies nor how You save.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Help me endure to the end, abiding in You daily, remaining humble and prayerful, and by performing my function in the church.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

 John 14:15-31

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. John 14:26

I continue my study of John and today I focus on John 14:15-31, where Jesus shares how He will be providing the Holy Spirit to help believers perform the mission God puts in front of them.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method. 

• What do we learn from the text about God?: V15 (see also vv21, 23) shares that God sees obedience to His commandments as a demonstration of love for Him. This squares with 1 John 5:2-3 where the text says the same thing and goes further by describing His commandments as "not burdensome."  In Vv16-17, Jesus shares that He is providing "another Helper, to be with you forever."  The Holy Spirit (explicitly called as such in v26) "dwells with you and will be in you."  In v18, Jesus emphasizes how this offers believers great encouragement as we are "not [left] as orphans and [He] will come to us."  God's love for us is promised for faithful believers in v21.  The Holy Spirit is of course not available to those who do not believe - see Judas' questioning and Jesus' response in vv22-23.  In v25, the Holy Spirit promises to teach us "all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."  Jesus also promises peace in v27.  Jesus will soon be arrested and go to the cross but Jesus does not want the disciples to be anxious or fearful as He is returning to the Father - v28.  He prophecies His "going away" and how the Holy Spirit will come so that the disciples believe - v29.  In vv30-31 Jesus shares that Satan is soon to arrest and kill Him, but that "[Satan] has no claim on Him" and that Jesus is doing what the Father sent Him to do...so that the "world may know that [He] love[s] the Father."
• What do we learn from the text about people?: People who love and believe in Him will have the Holy Spirit and God's love with them.  Those who do not, including Judas, are eternally condemned. 
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Avoid trust of the world above God and disbelief.  Claim the promise of how God will be with believers and how He loves them.  Follow the example of the disciples who believed.  Obey God's commandments as a response to His love for us.     

Comment and discuss this post

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves, saves and never leaves or forsakes me - giving me the Holy Spirit to teach me all things and to bring about obedience to You - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You love me and save.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!"

Leviticus 10

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!" Isaiah 6:3

This morning, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - starting with chapter ten - Our Response to God's Holiness - covering Leviticus 10:1-20, looking specifically at the theme - God's People Approach God as Holy.  Here, as the commentary begins a new chapter looking at Leviticus 10, the introduction to the chapter focuses on the contrast between Moses and the priests in Leviticus 8-9 vs that of Aaron and sons Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10.  The commentary points out how, in Leviticus 8-9 scripture states that Moses and priests did exactly as the Lord commanded twelve times. Yet in Leviticus 10:1-2, Nadab and Abihu offer "unauthorized fire" to the Lord "[a]nd fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord."  The commentary points us back to Leviticus 8, where in v8:35, Moses warns "Aaron and his sons to obey the Lord, 'so that you will not die.'"  The commentary also points us to v10:3, where Moses further explains to Aaron that "[t]his is what the Lord has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified."  We are urged to see God as sanctified, holy - as "set apart" - implying that we are to avoid treating God as like us, or as a better version of us - both of which are not only not true, but sinful to believe as such!  The commentary refers to theologian A.W. Tozer and his book The Knowledge of the Holy, where he writes: "[w]e cannot grasp the true meaning of the divine holiness by thinking of someone or something very pure and then raising the concept to the highest degree we are capable of.  God’s holiness is not simply the best we know infinitely bettered. We know nothing like the divine holiness. It stands apart, unique, unapproachable, incomprehensible and unattainable."  The commentary then provides a number of scriptural examples that refer to God as Holy (Isaiah 6:3), His Word as Holy (Romans 7:12), and all of His attributes as Holy (Psalm 98:1) - of course this is not an exhaustive list.  The commentary then closes the first subheading or theme - God's People Approach God as Holy - by exhorting all believers to treat worship with the reverence God is due; God is Holy so we must approach God carefully and with awe and reverence.  We must avoid worship that is "unauthorized" as  Nadab and Abihu did.

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are Holy, Your Word is Holy and everything about You is Holy!  You are perfect in all Your ways, and You love me.  You are worthy of my awe and white hot worship!  Yet sometimes I fail to treat my worship with the awe and reverence You desire.  Please forgive me Jesus!  Help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Which one of you convicts me of sin?

John 8:46

Which one of you convicts me of sin? John 8:46

I continue my study of The Character of Jesus.  For this morning, I focus on chapter 25 (second to last chapter): The Holiness of Jesus where I highlighted in my Kindle version the following excerpts:

• "There is but one name in human history with which we can link that glorious name. What do we mean by holiness? We mean wholeness, full-orbed perfection. A holy man is a man without a fleck or flaw, a character without a blemish or a stain."
•  "[S]o far as we can discover there is nothing in Jesus' consciousness which indicates that he was guilty of any sin. There is no trace anywhere of regret, no indication anywhere of remorse. From first to last he is serene, jubilant, confident, free, so far as we can see, from that shadow which the consciousness of sin always casts."
• "There is no [sinless] exception in the whole list from Abraham down to the latest of the apostles. Every heart cries out in the language of the Psalmist: 'Have mercy upon me, O God, and blot out my transgressions,' 'Wash me from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin, for my sin is ever before me.'"
• "Other men, even the strongest, have asked others to pray for them — he never asked prayers of any man."
• "Not only did he hold himself immeasurably above the heads of all other men, but he forgave sins, he spoke as one having authority. No other man had ever exercised such a prerogative. Even the worst sinners when penitent at his feet received from him authoritative assurance of forgiveness. Moreover he was a man without a human ideal."
• "All good men have looked up to some man better than themselves; Jesus looked up to no man. He placed himself above Moses. He said, 'A greater than Solomon is here.' He said to men, 'Follow me, I am the ideal.' And at the same time he said, 'Be ye perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect.'"
• "There was a reason why the baptism should be performed,—there was another element in baptism besides confession of sin. John was the beloved disciple, coming the nearest to the Master's heart. In the third chapter of his first letter he says this, 'He was manifested to take away our sin, and in him is no sin.' That was the impression which the Lord made upon him."
• "In the second chapter of [Peter's] first letter he says, 'He did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth." Now [the Apostles] were with Jesus. They ate with him, drank with him, slept with him, they saw him in all conditions and in all moods, and under varying circumstances. They saw him hungry, angry, stem, surprised, disappointed, amazed, yet they believed that in him there was no sin. The writer to the Hebrews in the fourth chapter reminds his readers that while Jesus was tempted in all points as we are, yet he was without sin."
• "Here, then, we have reached the crowning characteristic of Jesus. It is this which differentiates him from all other men who have ever lived. Every other man has known the pang of remorse, every other man has cried for pardon."
• "It is this sinlessness which gives Jesus his power. You cannot understand the New Testament unless you acknowledge that he was holy. His life was one of suffering, persecution, ending in a horrible death, but yet the New Testament is a joyous book. There is no gloom in it because there was no gloom in him. His soul was radiant. Nothing creates gloom in this world but sin."
• "All the things which we count terrible are insignificant and have no power to cast a shadow. There is only one thing which makes the spirit droop, and that is sin. His sinlessness explains his joyfulness."
• "The reason we are drawn to him is not because of his courage, his sympathy, his patience, or his brotherliness; it is because we feel instinctively that he is far above us, a man without a sin. It is this which gives the Christian church its power. The Christian church has but one perfect possession, that is Jesus."
• "Some of you are not interested in him; it is because he is so far above you. Some of you have no sympathy with him; it is because you are not at all like him. Some of you do not understand his words; that is because you are disobedient. Some of you have no disposition to do his will; it is because you are the prisoners of sin. But the sinless Christ does not turn away from us, no matter how sinful we are. He says: 'Come unto me. He that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out.'"

Believers see Jesus as holy - the perfect spotless Lamb of God.  We are also called to be like Him - to be holy (see also 1 Peter 1:15-16).  How is this possible?  Jesus is the King of Kings.  First, we are all made in His image - see Genesis 9:6.  Since the Fall (Genesis 3), sin separates us from God. In the Old Testament, the ceremonial rituals of sacrifice were required to atone for sin.  Yet, over time, Israel largely performed this ritual as rote, devoid of a truly repentant heart - they could claim obedience to following God's commands for atonement but God wants our heart (to love Him first, then others - the two greatest commandments - see Matthew 22:34-40), not rote sacrifice.  With Jesus, we see the end of the OT sacrificial system and those who believe in Jesus are reconciled to God, and become a new creation with the Holy Spirit in their hearts.  As we read and study the Word and see Jesus in the Word, we know more about Him and love Him more with each passing day.  It is not us, but God working in us to bring about obedience and sanctification - we become more like Him through Him.  As I approach the last chapter of this book by Charles Jefferson, I return to the beginning with a reminder of why I read this book - quoting from the Introduction: "to be a Christian is to admire Jesus so sincerely and so fervently that the whole life goes out to him in an aspiration to be like him."

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is Holy, and the sinless, perfect Lamb of God who calls me to be holy and equips me with the Holy Spirit and Your Word to help me become more like You.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You save nor how You bless in these ways and so much more.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.    

For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Mark 8:27-38

For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” Mark 8:38

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on an unassisted review of Mark 8:27-38, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary. Observations of the text based on the Sword Bible Study Method: 

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: This passage focuses on Jesus teaching the disciples about His identity.  Jesus continues to reveal who He is about Himself and He wants His disciples to be clear about who He is - this is important because all believers should be clear about who Jesus is.  Jesus is God.  He is Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit - the Triumvirate God.  Although in this passage of scripture explicitly, Jesus reveals through Peter that He is The Christ which in an of itself must be unpacked.  We also understand that Jesus must die on the cross (v31) - Jesus becomes the perfect, spotless lamb of God that takes upon Himself the sin of the world and the resulting punishment - death - as a substitution and atonement for all of humanity's sins throughout redemptive history.  This must happen and as with anything relating to God's plan - it cannot be stopped. Jesus seeks for His disciples and followers to be humble and to follow His example of humility...to be more like Jesus.  
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: People may not like what God is doing - for example Peter does not like that Jesus shares that He must die at the hands of the Jewish elders.  Despite how Peter does not like Jesus' plan to die on the cross, it's not something he should take upon himself to intervene.  We should be as clear minded as possible about our circumstances to discern what God is doing and pray for wisdom about what God wants us to do in our circumstances.  We should not be rash about what we think we should do from an earthly perspective.  We should also not be ashamed about God or our faith - see v38.  We must boldly claim the Gospel.  The world may not want to hear the Gospel but we are commanded to share it.     
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid,Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): We must avoid taking things into our own hands but instead see what God is doing in our circumstances and seek Him in prayer for wisdom and direction.  We should set our minds on the things of God - scripture and prayer - renewing our mind (Romans 12:2). We should be humble (vv34-35).  We should claim God's promise that if we deny ourself, follow Jesus and have faith - we will be saved (v35). We should not be ashamed of our faith nor about sharing the Gospel.  

V38 in particular is convicting - implying that we must be unabashed in our faith and in our efforts to live and proclaim that Christ is King, and that all must repent and belief to be saved.  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God that saves and whose Good News is perfect and worthy of sharing throughout all corners of the world.  Your Word has allowed me to see You, and to deepen my understanding and love of who You are.  It has molded me into more of Your image - I know there is more to go but I am grateful for my salvation and the work You are doing in me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the people of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine.

Numbers 8:5-22

Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the people of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine. Numbers 8:14

I continue my study of Numbers, and in the text today, 8:5-22, we see the Lord give instructions to Moses to cleanse the Levites and consecrate them for service in the Tent of Meeting.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.

• What do we learn from the text about God?: God alone cleanses people from sin - we must go to Him.  We no longer perform all the ritual washings, sacrifices, and rites per the first covenant as with the second covenant based on Jesus' shed blood, we simply go before God, confess our sin and ask for forgiveness and repent/turn to him.  God also seeks for His people to be set apart - to be a light in world filled with sin and darkness.  He is holy so He seeks for His people to be holy.  Believers are also set apart for a purposed designed by Him - to be used in His service. In this case it is the Levites as the priesthood in the Tent of Meeting, but with the second covenant, all believers are used in His service. 
• What do we learn from the text about people?: The text refers to the Levites as belonging to God (vv4, 17).  All believers belong to God as we've been redeemed and purchased through the shed blood of Jesus - see also 1 Corinthians 6:20, 1 Corinthians 7:23.  As such, our lives should be lived in His service - just as the Levites served to intercede on behalf of Israel to God (v19), we exist to glorify God. 
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Avoid the earthly influences that can drag into a life of sin and darkness. Claim the promise that God offers forgiveness and freedom from the sting of sin and death. Follow the example of the many in scripture who lived to serve and bring glory to Him.  Be holy because He is holy.       

Comment and discuss this post

 My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves, and You purchased me and all believers with Your shed blood.  You offer freedom from the sting of sin and death.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You save.  My sin is great and it continues....daily.  Help me turn from and overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom, energy and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

1 Peter 1

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. v6-7

It's no doubt difficult to suffer any kind of trial, yet Peter encourages us to think of how our suffering serves both us and Christ.  We are refined through suffering and we share in the suffering of Christ with whom we will share eternity.  We are to be the hands and feet of Jesus while we live in our earthly bodies and bring others to Him by demonstrating how we are "set apart" or holy.

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” v15

 

The call for us to be set apart is elsewhere in scripture - see here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are Holy and You lived a perfect live, then You suffered and died for me...of course You did not deserve such punishment yet You willingly laid down Your life for me...thank You Jesus!  What an amazing gift.  I am undeserving of such a gift.  I am lazy and selfish.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself strength and wisdom.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

Isaiah 6

And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” Isaiah 6:7

I continue my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series.  On day 13 of my study, I look more closely at the holiness of God and our response, including how are driven into the arms of the Lord based on His amazing grace.  Isaiah 6:3 refers to God's holiness and the study urges us to look elsewhere in scripture where God is depicted as holy.  One such reference is in Leviticus 11:44-45 where in v45, God says:

You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. Leviticus 11:45

The study also refers us to Deuteronomy where God discusses what may qualify a king to serve over Israel:

[The king] shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel. Deuteronomy 17:18-20

Knowledge of the Lord is key - as I have posted a few days ago.

Knowledge of the Lord reveals our sin and points us back to Him for forgiveness and His mercy.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord You are an awesome God who is Holy and seeks for me to be Holy.  You give me Your Word so that I can know and worship You appropriately - through confession, etc.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of You grace and mercy.  Thank You for Your Word and The Holy Spirit so that I can better understand You Word. I am not deserving of these blessings.  My sins continue...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols?

1 Corinthians 8

Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.  For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? v9-10

Our life should be a witness to others, and we are not be slack in our ways or a hypocrite...even in the slightest or smallest "insignificant" ways.  Unbelievers will use our ways to justify their own wicked ways.  

I am the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy. Leviticus 11:45

My Prayer:  Lord, You ARE Holy...pure, holy and blameless.  Yet You willingly came to earth, for me, and then suffered and died for me.  You rose again to beat death, so that I would no longer be a slave to sin, I would have forgiveness for my sin, and that I would have new life and life in Heaven forever with You and my brothers and sisters in Christ.  How awesome You are.  I am not all of what You have done..or any of it.  I have lust in my heart, I am selfish, quick to anger and slow to listen, impatient, harsh with my thoughts, words, and actions...and there is more.  Thank You that You love me anyway but please forgive me for my sin and help me turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do and help me grow in my faith.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am the LORD your God.”

Numbers 15:37-41

So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am the LORD your God.” Numbers 15:40-41

I continue my study of Numbers, and in the text today - Numbers 15:37-41 - God gave Moses commands to give to the people to make tassels for the corners of their garments - as a means to remember and be obedient to all of the commandments of the Lord.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.

• What do we learn from the text about God?: God led Israel out of bondage and they were to remember all that He had done, and out of love for Him God expected Israel to be obedient.  God seeks for us to love Him with all of our heart, soul, and mind and this requires obedience to His commands.  Ultimately, the New Covenant based on Jesus' shed blood did away with the ceremonial law as God lives in believers' hearts (Holy Spirit) and this drives us into His arms as we surrender to Him and seek Him daily as He molds us into more of His image.   
• What do we learn from the text about people?: The Old Testament included both ceremonial and moral law and unfortunately, many went through the motions and/or added to or subtracted from scripture to serve their own purposes and will and not God's will. With exception to a few (remnant), time and time again, the leaders and people of Israel let Him down.  With Jesus, we no longer have the Old Testament sacrificial system and we can go to God directly with confidence (Hebrews 4:14-16). Jesus justifies us in His sight.  
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Avoid focusing on obedience.  Claim the promise that if you seek Him with all your heart, you will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13), and that He will renew our heart, mind and life to make us more like Him.  Follow the example of John (1 John 5:3) who wrote that obedience to Him is not a burden. Seek God with all of your heart.   

Comment and discuss this post

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves and gives me Your Word, the Holy Spirit, the church, etc. so that I can be encouraged to seek You with all of my heart.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Peace be with you....Peace be with you....And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

 John 20:19-23

Peace be with you....Peace be with you....And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:19,20,22

I continue my study of John and today I focus on John 20:19-23, where Jesus appears to the disciples after the resurrection.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method. 

• What do we learn from the text about God?: God seeks to bring peace of mind (vv19, 21) to the disciples, first that it is truly Him, so He shows them (v20) the wounds to His hands and side (which was pierced) as He hung on the cross.  Peace of mind was important as well because of persecution of the those identified to be followers of Jesus - if Jesus could be put to death so could anyone associated with Him.  Jesus gives us peace - even in the darkest moments.  He is Light (see also John 1:4, 8:12). Jesus sought to give this peace of mind certainly through His physical presence, but also through the Holy Spirit which He gave to the disciples by breathing on them (v22). Jesus then shares that forgiveness can be given or withheld in v23 although multiple reads of this verse give me pause to discern whether the "it" being withheld is forgiveness or the Holy Spirit from v22. See also this John Piper message for more on this verse. 
• What do we learn from the text about people?: Following Jesus does have a cost as persecution comes in many forms.  The disciples face imprisonment, physical harm, and even death - as such they locked the doors (v19).  
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Avoid fear and worry as this will cascade into other sins.  Claim the promise that Jesus provides us the Holy Spirit and we can never be separated from His love.  Follow the example of those who followed Jesus at great cost - pick up your cross daily and follow Him.  Trust Him as He is the Good Shepherd who loves, cares, and saves.   

Comment and discuss this post

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves.  I am not deserving of how You save and provide peace - and I know that I can never be separated from Your love.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and my salvation.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. 1 Corinthians 12:11

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians, moving on to an assisted review of 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary volume for this book.  From the commentary for this text:

Main idea: "Every believer has spiritual gifts that are to be exercised, not for personal gratification, but for corporate edification in the church."

Key excerpts from the introduction: 

• "Anyone preparing commentary on this passage must do so with care and humility."
• "there is neither a guarantee nor an expectation that there will be unanimity of agreement on the interpretation given on some of the gifts that are listed and their relevance and application today. But the truth remains: we are to give ourselves not only to studying these gifts and trying to understand them but just as importantly to using them for the glory of God and the good of the church." 
• "One of the reasons Paul wrote to the Corinthians in such detail, in fact, was because of their ignorance of spiritual gifts."
• "Unfortunately, when it comes to the church there are many spiritual agnostics. They know very little about spiritual gifts, and those who do are not even sure what their spiritual gifts might be. I have learned by personal experience there is a great cost involved in being educated, but there is a greater cost if you are not."
• "Exercising a spiritual gift is no guarantee of spiritual maturity, nor is it a guarantee that one belongs to a great church."
• "Spiritual gifts, unfortunately, were not uniting the church in Corinth; they were dividing the church. It was obvious that some of the Corinthians were placing such an inordinate emphasis on showy displays of spirituality, particularly speaking in tongues, that it was disrupting the church’s worship, dividing the church’s fellowship, and demeaning the witness of the gospel[.]"
  

Divisions from the commentary:

1. "How the Gifts Are Described (12:1,4,7): Gifts are actually Trinitarian in nature. God the Father has given us the gift of God the Son for our salvation. God the Son has given us God the Holy Spirit for our sanctification, but God the Holy Spirit has given us spiritual gifts for our service. The point is, these are not material gifts. These are spiritual gifts. They are gifts of and from the Holy Spirit.....Spiritual gifts are supernatural gifts granted by the grace of God. They are not just glorified natural abilities. They are not something you gain by going to school or practicing or inheriting. They are literally charismatic gifts, which means if you are a Christian in the truest sense of the term, you are a charismatic Christian by default. Spiritual gifts, simply put, are supernatural endowments that enable us to carry out God’s work in God’s way....These gifts are not to be stored; they are to be shared for the “good” of others....35). Spiritual gifts are given to every believer to bless the church, build up the body of Christ, and edify believers. But if a spiritual gift does not in some way edify the church, it is no longer a used gift; it is an abused gift.....To be sure, this does not mean there would not be any private benefit to the one exercising the gift. But this verse would certainly rule out using any gift strictly or merely for personal gain or self-satisfaction. It certainly does not rule out any and all benefits for an individual[.]"
2. "How the Gifts Are Distributed (12:5-7,11): Every Christian has received at least one spiritual gift. Unfortunately, I have pastored some people who assumed they had the spiritual gift of criticism, which is not a thing! No one Christian has every gift, but every Christian has at least one....You may not have graduated first in your class. You may not be very athletic. You may not be one of the world’s most talented people, but if you are a follower of Jesus, you are a gifted child! You have a gift that God wants you to use in his church in service and ministry that might not get done unless you do it....Every Christian is a minister, and every Christian has a ministry. The ministries of the church are to be carried out as followers of Jesus exercise their spiritual gifts in ministering to one another. Again, they are distributed independently....This should remind us that no believer should ever be jealous of another believer who may have a different gift. All of us have been gifted differently, but all of us have been gifted perfectly. The Holy Spirit, in his divine wisdom and sovereignty, has given to each of us precisely the gift, or gifts, that will enable us to function most effectively in the body of Christ....When we exercise our gifts within a local context, we find that we fit together perfectly and create a beautiful representation of God’s greater family. Although what we perceive God to be doing sometimes doesn’t make sense to us, there is always a method to his seeming madness, and he knows what he is about and what he is doing. As we think about spiritual gifts, we should rejoice knowing that we are each gifted, that we can be used, that God has a purpose and a plan for us and a work for us to do, and that with his gifts and by his power we can do things in a way that brings glory and honor to him and serves to bless others."  
   
3. "How the Gifts Are Distinguished (12:4-6): Gifts show up in different ways in different ministries. Even though two Christians may have the same basic gift, that gift may be manifested and applied in different ways....We exercise these gifts not only by the grace of God but through the power of God. It is his power that fires engines and leads us to exercise these gifts effectively.  the first category represents the essence of the gifts (they are grace gifts). The second category represents the expression of the gifts (they are to be used for service). The third category represents the effects of the gifts. They result is a display of the power of God through his people."
   

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer:

You are to be my holy people.

Exodus 22

You are to be my holy people. v31

In Exodus, the Lord gives the Israelites not only the Ten Commandments (see Exodus 20), but also rules for living - God desires us to be Holy because we are made in His image and for His glory.

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27

The people] are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor.  Isiah 60:21

God calls us to be Holy because He is Holy.

See also posts here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God, full of love, mercy, compassion, patience, etc. - thank You for Your love and sacrifice.  I am not worth such love.  I continue to sin.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself strength and wisdom. Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.

Levitcus 19

Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy. v1

We were created by God and for God.

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27

They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor. Isaiah 60:21

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Psalm 150:6

 We are also Christ's ambassadors:

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:20-21

  

 God has a mission for us - to bring others to Him (see also Matthew 28 - The Great Commission).

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God and You are holy and perfect - perfect in all ways and perfect to me and for me.  You are everything to me and for me.  I need nothing else but You.  Thank You for how You provide, heal, encourage, teach, protect, etc.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such efforts and love. My sin continues.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.

Leviticus 10

Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Leviticus 10:1-2 

This morning, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - continuing with chapter ten - Our Response to God's Holiness - covering Leviticus 10:1-20, looking specifically at the theme - God's People Acknowledge God as Judge.  Here, the commentary focuses on God's judgement of sin - a topic not often discussed in church and certainly discussed less so in our larger culture here in the U.S. (or even tolerated). In v10:2 Nadab and Abihu were swiftly and harshly judged by God for their "unauthorized fire." We are urged to the the larger context in Leviticus 10 where it describes the Israelites' inaugural worship service - in the previous chapters God lays out the commandments for the sacrificial system and the role of the priests. As I posted Sunday, we are to approach God as Holy and set apart; hence we are to treat our time of worship with a level of seriousness and reverence - we should not be flippant about how we approach God.  On the same note, we must also look at sin as a serious matter; while sin is unavoidable as that is our nature and we cannot claim to be without sin (see 1 John 1:8), we must do what we can to avoid patterns of sin.  The commentary writes how "[s]in destroys.  It destroys not only the one who sins, but others.  Sin is not stagnant, so that we sin and that's the end of it.  When we sin, sin becomes easier the next time--easier for us, and easier for those who see us sin and get away with it.  Before long sin has proliferated and more and more people are being hurt by it."  The commentary pushes us to see how the Israelites were at a pivotal moment in their history - the inaugural corporate worship led by the priests God anointed.  We are to imagine how God's tolerance of Nadab and Abihu's sin could have led to even greater and greater sin - God had to deal with it severely lest it become a much bigger problem in Israel's development as God's people.  The commentary wraps by having us look at other scriptural examples where God dealt severely with sin.  One such example is from 2 Samuel 6:1-7 where a man named Uzzah was struck down for touching the ark - a Holy thing not be to be touched by anyone other than the priests, and only touched/used in the prescribed manner directed by God.  In this scriptural example, it should also be noted that the ark should never have been put on a cart as God had already prescribed that it was to be carried by the Levites on poles on their shoulders.   A second example comes from the New Testament, where in Acts 5:1-11, a husband and wife hold back financial offerings to the church and lie about it - and both are struck down.  RC Sproul, writing on DesiringGod.com, uses the same examples in this great post about God's Holiness and justice. The key takeaway from the commentary this morning is that we are avoid sin, confront it in our own lives so as to arrest it from growing into something more dangerous than it already is.

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are Holy and You desire for Your children to be Holy - You call us and You have chosen the elect to be Your ambassadors to spread Your Word.  I am beyond humbled that You would choose me and die for me. I am not deserving.  I am full of anger, harshness, and worry.  Please forgive me.  Help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.