The Devotional - #014

A Thought for the Day – 014

The path of the just is a way of light, they seldom stumble and keep others from falling too. The way of the unjust is dark; they stumble much and cause others to stumble too. The one in the light knows the Light, sadly the one in the dark, does not know or recognize the one who is who leads their way or why they stumble. Proverbs 4:18-19

Comments and challenges

In the early days of my naval career (which began in February of 1958) all sailors were required to wear their uniforms while on liberty. Some may be saying what is the Navy’s definition of liberty in this capacity? Liberty is the freedom to leave the ship or shore station where it is normally ones duty to be there. In addition to wearing the uniform, a liberty card was required to leave the duty station. Both the uniform and the card were needed to walk about in town.

Those days have long disappeared; even the dress code for a sailor ashore is relaxed to a standard equivalent to the bobbles and beads found in our liberal or relaxed code of dress. Many local neighborhoods today are dangerous for those wearing strange attire. In other words, by simple observation you cannot tell a sailor today from a regular civilian on the street so safety could be considered as important; but is there a rub in this? Of course!

When I became a believer in the LORD Jesus Christ in May of 1975 I observed for the very first time in my life people who were at peace with God and with the people around them. Men and women who made bold testimonies of Christ in them and people who were willing to give sound reasoning of what the LORD Jesus was doing or had done in their life. My thought on this today is like that of the typical sailor today. Both have difficulty explaining who they are simply because they do not stand out in the outstanding clothing of who they represent.

We “so called Christians” seem to lack the luster of being who we say we are. Just as the Navy’s Standard of the Code of Conduct has fallen into the abyss of worldly attire so has the Christian’s Code of Righteousness fallen as well. It is well past the time for us saints or if you prefer (children of God) to wake up from this drunken stupor of friendship with the world. The whole of our salvation is a stake! Really? Yes really!

Deliverance is the thought here; to be delivered first by being “justified in Christ” second to be “sanctified in Christ” and third to be “glorified with Christ”. Have we lost focus of this truth? Just as the sailor is to see himself as all about the Navy, we as believers in Jesus should see ourselves as all about Jesus. It is He who Justified us, it is He who sanctifies us daily and it is He who will one day say to you and me “Well done thou good and faithful servant, or those other words that none of us what said; being identified as a lazy and wicked servant!” Matthew 25:14-30

I know some will say…”Jesse, are you not being a bit legalist”? Could be, but if I look at Romans 13:8-14 I find that this links up very well with the Matthew passage. Yet if you have the time Romans 12:1-31 will give additional thought to the Believer’s code of Righteousness and clothing.