The Devotional - R055

The Devotional

Comment:

Submarines in deep water move to the surface by propulsion at six knots (about 10 miles per hour), if the water temperature goes from cold to warm, which it often does; at the change point the sub will bounce off the warmer layer of water like a ball against the wall. In order to go through that layer of warmer water the ship must become lighter. Thus the diving officer will order the chief of the watch to pump the ballast tanks to sea and the ship, now lighter in weight will once again be able to go upward to the surface. Well, when I think of religion that above analogy comes to my mind. Religion is all about humanity seeking to rise above their finite circumstance to obtain glory from God. In this every effort to rise to the Glory of God meets a wall that cannot be penetrated. Religion is full of false acts of its leadership – 2 Peter 12-17. So again what has this got to do with today? Well, a faith that annuls what God has joined together, a faith that forgives sin by the decree of another human and a faith that is full of ritual is a faith of deception that stays within the walls of that church body. In other words it goes NOWHERE! It will die for lack of understanding – John 3:14.

Challenge: Romans 16:1-16

Fellowship – Believers in Christ sharing in the Righteousness of God by faith, have great fellowship with one another. Being able to have such good bonding is not because we are such good people in that we all get along. Quite the opposite since our own personal righteousness is full of the filth within our heart. In church gatherings (fellowships); it is not what we put into our mouths that defile our brothers or sisters in the LORD, but what comes out of our mouth – Matthew 15:15-20.

So often we see the apostle Paul in deep concern for God’s people who are chosen in Righteousness to walk in Righteousness – Romans 13:11-14. Each of us should be equally concerned for our fellow brother or sister. This is not optional by the way, it is the Will of God to love, esteem and share with one another. This is vital from church growth. At the start churches did well, but the report card in many churches today have failing grades – Acts 2:40-47 and 4:32-47 and Revelation 2 and 3. 

Many churches today are full of saints that have little to do with fellowship for fear of being ostracized for various things of the past that legalistic minded people will not lay aside – Galatians 2:21. Yet we should not rule out the liberal minded people, they have good fellowships, however their conduct is often like that of the unbelieving, having forgotten that they were purchased with the Blood of Christ, rather than the silver and gold, the cause that allows these churches to prosper – 1 Peter 1:18-19.

The list of people found in Romans 16:1-16 are grace minded saints who are not afraid of meeting others who are like minded. The joy that comes from these meetings and greetings is a joy that is unexplainable to the natural minded (unbeliever), simply they cannot know because they do not have the Spirit of God in them. This joy is part of our eternal inheritance – 1 Peter 1:8 and it is expressed in and through us by the Holy Spirit.

Our greatest need today in the True Church of Jesus Christ is to lay aside all bitterness and be “doers of the Word, rather than just hearers only” – James 1:21. Tomorrow, if it comes we will finish the epistle to the Romans and move to another epistle or book. Pray with me that God directs my path – thank you.