The Devotional - R004

The Devotional

Comment:

Favorite sayings, we all have them; like “That is a trueism” or “you betcha” and maybe even “not on my watch”! And what about those words we use in place of the real ones, when my daughter was just learning to talk she called the convertible car a “roof-down” and the coat-hanger a “hang-coater”. I do not think she was far off on either since both of her words identified the object at hand. This points to the subject at hand this morning, we have common words in our vocabulary that tend to confuse others who may have a different definition or cultural meaning. Another example to help is that while I was in London, England many years ago I found out that the street I was crossing was commonly called a “horseless-carriageway”.

Challenge: Romans 1:16-17

In the devotional R002 I said that God’s Salvation Plan included Righteousness and that Righteousness included sanctification of the saint, a cleansing of guilt and confidence in security as a child of God. These are not the exact words I used then, but it is the direction that we will be taking. To be saved is not hard for the saint to understand once he or she has received “Salvation Justification”. By faith we are able to see that the grace of God has provided this gift. It is not a work generated by us therefore it is a GIFT from God to anyone who will believe Him that Jesus died and rose again for them PERSONALLY, we did not work for our salvation, Jesus did, Ephesians 2:8-9.

This being true the next event on God’s Plan of redemption for you and me is called by many “Salvation Sanctification” Now once again, God’s Plan is perfect, meaning that Salvation from God to you personally is pure or in His Words, “Righteous and Glorious” it is Good News to unrighteous and inglorious and shameful people (sinners). Now no doubt, there are many of us who would argue that they are not unrighteous and inglorious. Among mankind this may very well be true for you, but in accordance with God’s Righteousness it is not true, God is HOLY and He says in Romans 3:21-23 that we do not bother with being holy, we enjoy unholiness (sin) and we fall short of His mark of a Righteous and Glorious life.

The apostle Paul says this – “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to (for) salvation for (to) everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also to the Greek (Gentile). For in it (salvation) the Righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith (every generation), (a Righteousness) in that the Justified (saved) shall live by faith, (be sanctified)”. Romans 1:16-17 but amplified by me.

So we are going to see what it is that we are being set apart (sanctified) from. For this we will turn to a passage in 1 Corinthians 6, verses 9-11 – “Do you not know that the UNRIGHTEOUS will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were set apart (sanctified), but you were (saved) justified in the Name of the LORD Jesus and by the Spirit of our God”.

Why is Paul unashamed of the Gospel of God? We are going to see why in the following “tough” scripture ahead. It would simply be foolish for anyone to say that they cannot find themselves in one or more areas of sin listed in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 and as we will see, the seriousness of not allowing God to completely set us apart (sanctify) us from this ungodliness of the kosmos (world) around us is foolish, unrewarding, cowardly and finally, UNBELIEVING.

In closing lets read Psalm 14:1 which parallels the devotional this morning “The fool has said in his or her heart, THERE IS NO GOD. They are corrupt (thinkers). They have done abominable works. (unrighteousness). There is none that does good (sinners).