[H]ow much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

Hebrews 9

[H]ow much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Hebrews 9:14

This morning, my focus is DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, where John Piper looks at how our conscience too often condemn us with shame, guilt, feelings of inadequacy that "make us feel unacceptable to God".  We then, in response, implement responses to compensate or "fill the hole" left by our conscience.  Yet Piper rightly points out that these responses are sometimes harmful, and nothing we can do - even works we deem "good" - in this world can do what ONLY Jesus can do.  Unbelievers, accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior and have faith. As Piper puts it: "[t]urn to the only cleansing agent in the universe that can give you relief in life, and peace in death."

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me.  You cleanse me, make me one of Your elect, and You clothe me in righteousness - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings...not by a long shot.  My sin is great and it continues.  Please cleanse me, forgive me, and help me turn from and overcome my 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 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.  

The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

Genesis 1-3

The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. v21-24

Having long desired to do so, I began a chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith).

Of note from my reading this morning - consequences of sin include:

• sin produces shame* - see Genesis 3:6-7 for Adam and Eve's shame of their nakedness.
• sin produces fear* - see Genesis 3:8-10 where Adam and Eve hide from God in fear of punishment.
• sin produces blame* - see Genesis 3:11-13 where Adam blames Eve and Eve blames the serpent.

*Smith, F. LaGard. The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) . Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition. 

None of these consequences are good for us and of course sin separates us from God.  But as believers we know that God sent His Son Jesus for us because He loves us and does not want us to be without Him.  We get a glimpse of God's abounding love and grace in Genesis 3:21 where He clothes Adam and Eve and while He does banish them from the Garden of Eden, He spares their lives.  God is good indeed.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are good indeed!  I know You are good and You have poured out blessings on me well beyond what I deserve.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and blessings.  I 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.

Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame

Genesis 2

Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. v25

When created the universe and everything in it, man and woman were present - Adam and Eve as the first man and woman - and there was no sin.  Adam and Eve lived in perfect unity with God.  And there is no shame from being in unity with God.  Sin separates us from God and from this perfect unity, yet we should not have shame from the personal relationship Christ invites all of us to have for those who believe in Him.

Regardless of the circumstances, we should feel no shame.  Peter warns us of these scoffers.

Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised?  2 Peter 3:3-4

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God, before all, creator of all, in all, and the One who holds all things together.  Apart from You I can do no good things.  I am weak and broken yet You bless me abundantly.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such a God.  I am selfish.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from 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 and cure 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.