The Devotional
Comment:
Living in a Land we ought to be
proud of reminds me of a friend in a foreign country to us in the United States
of America. When we think of purple mountains and the majesty of God’s creation
all around we are almost covetous in what we have and say to others. The other
day on “facebook” my friend in his native language spoke of traveling on one of
the better highways in his country and expressing the same thoughts about the grandeur
and nobility of his great land. This I found to be a wonderful gift of God in
that His Grace provides for a love of country for every countryman in his or
her corner of the world, if they would only look and see the Glory of Creator
God. Today in the United States of America and I may be the only one who has
not gone emotional (viral) over the blind, lame and halt Star Spangled Banner! I
am proud to be an American and I am certain that most all of us are, I do not
condemn those who are suppressed by health in any way, who boldly proclaim their
allegiance to our country. I am simply pointing out the overall national picture
of the condition of our fallen dignity and political corruption.
Challenge: Romans 13:1-7
When
I first learned of Jesus Christ and His sacrificial death to pay for my sins
and the sins of the world I was struck with awe. Now I am not alone in this
since this awareness of awe is felt by everyone who has heard the message of Creator
God through the Son of God and has felt the Power of the Spirit of God’s convincing
call to believe. This is the message which we have heard from Him and (we) declare to
you, that God is light (truth and love) and in Him there is no darkness (lie
and hate) at all, 1 John 1:5.
Owe
no one anything except to love one another! This for many is the most difficult
message in the Holy Word of God to believers in Jesus Christ. We have such a
misunderstanding of love, but surely it is the same throughout the world and
why do I say that? “For God so loved the world” there is such a major disconnect
regarding the love of God and the results of mankind’s response that the
apostle Paul seeks to help us with the backdrop of the law in these following
words.
For
the commandments; “You shall not commit adultery, you shall
not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness and you shall
not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this
saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Plainly the
apostle exhorts that if these desires of the heart prevail in the mind and are
even practiced within the church of Jesus Christ; (Note that the apostle is not
talking to unbelieving people) may I remind you of Romans 12:1-2, then we
simply do not understand the love of God.
The
love of God in us is not an emotional action of the flesh toward God or toward
our neighbor. The Love of God is the fulfillment of the Law and if you believe
in Christ you are to abide in Him as He is the fulfillment of the Law to and
for all who believe, Jesus is the end (completion) of the law for righteousness
to ALL who believe; Romans 10:4 and 13:10.
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