Proverbs 26:11 says, "As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness." This is a verse that most of us are familiar with, but I think we only apply it when, for example, we see someone getting arrested multiple times for the same offense. "Oh well, that's just a fool returning to their folly," we might think. But this verse doesn't just apply to those who break the law, it applies to every single one of us, every day.
The imagery of that verse is gross to us as people because it is not in our nature to do that. I don't know why dogs are "wired" that way, but they just are. It is natural for them to do this. So, what does this have to do with us?
I have heard several conversations recently from people who claim to know Christ, but who are reading books, watching movies, or being involved in things that obviously do not glorify God. For whatever reason, whether it's because of the "everybody else is doing it" excuse, or maybe just the thrill of finding out what will happen, like Eve taking a bite of the fruit, these people do not realize or have forgotten what God's Word says about the new nature we have been given in Christ.
In his letter to the Christians in Rome, Paul told them that "you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature (literally 'the flesh') urges you to do." (Romans 8:9,12) Also, 1 John 2:15 - 17 says, "Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever." (emphasis mine)
My point is this. When we as Christians sin, in God's eyes it is just as bad, if not worse, than what a dog does as described in Proverbs 26:11. Just as it is in a dog's nature to do certain things that we might find repulsive, it is in the Christian's nature to find sin repulsive. If we have been forgiven and freed from sin, it shouldn't make sense for us to go back to it. Am I saying that we should be perfect? Absolutely not. As it says above, our flesh is urging us to sin each day, and I will be the first to admit that I sin and succumb to the flesh's urgings more than I should. But, through the Holy Spirit living within us, we can put these urgings to death. (Romans 8:13) So who do we turn to when we obey the flesh and sin? 1 John 2:1,2 says, "But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins - and not only our sins but the sins of all the world."
In closing, the nature we now possess through the Holy Spirit is not just about not sinning. It is about doing. "Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God." (Romans 7:4,6) When our faith is in Christ, we don't serve Him out of trying to be perfect, or "obeying the letter of the law" as Paul said. We serve Him out of gratitude for His forgiveness and grace that He gave to us on the cross. Let us live each day in the new, life-giving nature He has given us!
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Living Water
It has been a dreadfully hot summer here in Alabama so far, and rainfall has been few and far between. Experiencing these drought-like conditions made me stop and think when I read through the story of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4.
Today, we take water for granted. If we are thirsty, we can go to a faucet or sink in our home and fill our glasses with as much water as we like. It wasn't that easy in Jesus' day. "In Israel, people were keenly aware of water sources and water quality. Springs and rivers that ran all year were few, so the land relied on cisterns to catch and store the winter rains and wells to tap underground water tables." (NLT insert) Needless to say, as I am currently drinking a Dasani bottled water that says it is "enhanced with minerals for a pure, fresh taste", I am grateful for the time and location in which I live!
When Jesus told the Samaritan woman that he would give her "living water" (John 4:10), I've never known the significance of what that statement would have meant to her. "In Jewish culture, 'dead water' referred to standing and stored water. 'Living water' referred to moving water, as in rivers, springs, and rainfall. Such water was precious because it was fresh." (NLT insert) It then makes since why the woman would question Jesus about where he would get this "living water". She wanted to be satisfied and refreshed!
Of course, she was thinking about earthly, physical water that "anyone who drinks will soon become thirsty again." (4:13) Jesus, as he does throughout the book of John, uses this earthly example of water to reveal something spiritual about the Kingdom of God. "But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life." (4:14) Jesus makes this same declaration to the masses in John 7:37 - 39. "Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, 'Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.' (When he said 'living water,' he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)"
For those of us who have put our trust in Christ, we have this "fresh, bubbling spring" within us in the Holy Spirit. Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, satisfies our spiritual thirst in every way, so let us never abandon the "fountain of living water and dig for ourselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all." (Jeremiah 2:13) Basically, how foolish it would be of us to look for spiritual satisfaction in any other source but Jesus now that we have tasted the "living water". But, let us also be reminded that others are in need of this water, too. People are thirsty for the truth, and we can be the one to lead them to the source of "living water".
So, the next time you are physically thirsty in this hot, Alabama summer, let it be a reminder of the "dead water" that once filled you, and of the "living water" that now springs up within you.
Today, we take water for granted. If we are thirsty, we can go to a faucet or sink in our home and fill our glasses with as much water as we like. It wasn't that easy in Jesus' day. "In Israel, people were keenly aware of water sources and water quality. Springs and rivers that ran all year were few, so the land relied on cisterns to catch and store the winter rains and wells to tap underground water tables." (NLT insert) Needless to say, as I am currently drinking a Dasani bottled water that says it is "enhanced with minerals for a pure, fresh taste", I am grateful for the time and location in which I live!
When Jesus told the Samaritan woman that he would give her "living water" (John 4:10), I've never known the significance of what that statement would have meant to her. "In Jewish culture, 'dead water' referred to standing and stored water. 'Living water' referred to moving water, as in rivers, springs, and rainfall. Such water was precious because it was fresh." (NLT insert) It then makes since why the woman would question Jesus about where he would get this "living water". She wanted to be satisfied and refreshed!
Of course, she was thinking about earthly, physical water that "anyone who drinks will soon become thirsty again." (4:13) Jesus, as he does throughout the book of John, uses this earthly example of water to reveal something spiritual about the Kingdom of God. "But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life." (4:14) Jesus makes this same declaration to the masses in John 7:37 - 39. "Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, 'Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.' (When he said 'living water,' he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)"
For those of us who have put our trust in Christ, we have this "fresh, bubbling spring" within us in the Holy Spirit. Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, satisfies our spiritual thirst in every way, so let us never abandon the "fountain of living water and dig for ourselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all." (Jeremiah 2:13) Basically, how foolish it would be of us to look for spiritual satisfaction in any other source but Jesus now that we have tasted the "living water". But, let us also be reminded that others are in need of this water, too. People are thirsty for the truth, and we can be the one to lead them to the source of "living water".
So, the next time you are physically thirsty in this hot, Alabama summer, let it be a reminder of the "dead water" that once filled you, and of the "living water" that now springs up within you.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
How Can A Hyssop Branch Point to Christ?
If you have read through the Old Testament, you have no doubt come across several scriptures that mention hyssop, or a hyssop branch. What is hyssop, and why is it important in the bible? Hyssop is a perennial flowering herb with aromatic, or fragrant, flowers. It belongs to the mint family and can be found growing in the wild. It has tall stalks with narrow leaves. In biblical times, they didnt have detergent, and the hyssop branch had detergent properties to it. It was used to clean clothing and temples.
Below are some Old Testament scriptures describing how hyssop was used. Hang with me, the point is coming at the end.
In the first Passover...
Exodus 12:22 "Drain the blood into a basin. Then take a bundle of hyssop branches and dip it into the blood. Brush the hyssop across the top and sides of the doorframes of your houses. And no one may go out through the door until morning."
In purification ceremonies...
Leviticus 14:49, 51 "To purify the house the priest must take two birds, a stick of cedar, some scarlet yarn, and a hyssop branch. He will take the cedar stick, the hyssop branch, the scarlet yarn, and the live bird, and dip them into the blood of the slaughtered bird and into the fresh water. Then he will sprinkle the house seven times."
In David's repentance after committing adultery with Bathsheba...
Psalm 51:7 "Purify me from my sins (Hebrew: Purify me with the hyssop branch), and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow."
Jesus, after his resurrection, told his disciples "When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled." (Luke 24:44) Who knew that this would even include a hyssop branch? John's detailed account of Jesus hanging on the cross takes on an even deeper meaning when we keep in mind how hyssop was used in the Old Testament. "Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, 'I am thirsty.'A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. When Jesus had tasted it, he said, 'It is finished!' Then he bowed his head and released his spirit." (John 19:28-30)
I've heard it said that Jesus doesn't just fulfill the Old Testament, he "fills it full". The hyssop branch is a great example of this. Just as God used the hyssop branch as a small part of rescuing the Israelites from the Egyptians in the first Passover, God used hyssop in the crucifixion of Jesus as He rescued us from death and has given us life. And just as hyssop was used to clean people physically, it is a reminder of the spiritual cleansing from our sins that Jesus has provided.
The kicker for me, though, is that hyssop is a aromatic, fragrant flower. What does that have to do with anything, you ask? Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:2 to "live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God." Yes, just as hyssop was a pleasing aroma in Old Testament sacrifices, Jesus was a pleasing aroma to God when he sacrificed himself for us. And since Jesus now lives in us through the Holy Spirit, we are the fragrance of Christ among everyone that we come in contact with each day (2 Corinthians 2:15).
I certainly didn't think I would blog about hyssop of all things, but I think it is incredible how God uses things like that to remind us of what Christ has done for us.
Below are some Old Testament scriptures describing how hyssop was used. Hang with me, the point is coming at the end.
In the first Passover...
Exodus 12:22 "Drain the blood into a basin. Then take a bundle of hyssop branches and dip it into the blood. Brush the hyssop across the top and sides of the doorframes of your houses. And no one may go out through the door until morning."
In purification ceremonies...
Leviticus 14:49, 51 "To purify the house the priest must take two birds, a stick of cedar, some scarlet yarn, and a hyssop branch. He will take the cedar stick, the hyssop branch, the scarlet yarn, and the live bird, and dip them into the blood of the slaughtered bird and into the fresh water. Then he will sprinkle the house seven times."
In David's repentance after committing adultery with Bathsheba...
Psalm 51:7 "Purify me from my sins (Hebrew: Purify me with the hyssop branch), and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow."
Jesus, after his resurrection, told his disciples "When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled." (Luke 24:44) Who knew that this would even include a hyssop branch? John's detailed account of Jesus hanging on the cross takes on an even deeper meaning when we keep in mind how hyssop was used in the Old Testament. "Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, 'I am thirsty.'A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. When Jesus had tasted it, he said, 'It is finished!' Then he bowed his head and released his spirit." (John 19:28-30)
I've heard it said that Jesus doesn't just fulfill the Old Testament, he "fills it full". The hyssop branch is a great example of this. Just as God used the hyssop branch as a small part of rescuing the Israelites from the Egyptians in the first Passover, God used hyssop in the crucifixion of Jesus as He rescued us from death and has given us life. And just as hyssop was used to clean people physically, it is a reminder of the spiritual cleansing from our sins that Jesus has provided.
The kicker for me, though, is that hyssop is a aromatic, fragrant flower. What does that have to do with anything, you ask? Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:2 to "live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God." Yes, just as hyssop was a pleasing aroma in Old Testament sacrifices, Jesus was a pleasing aroma to God when he sacrificed himself for us. And since Jesus now lives in us through the Holy Spirit, we are the fragrance of Christ among everyone that we come in contact with each day (2 Corinthians 2:15).
I certainly didn't think I would blog about hyssop of all things, but I think it is incredible how God uses things like that to remind us of what Christ has done for us.
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