[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (SSEU) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]
ROMANS
7:7
“What
shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! Rather, I would not have
come to know sin except through the Law. For I would not have known about
coveting if the Law had not said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COVET.’”
Out
of all sins, Paul chose to pick "covetousness" for his illustration.
And many times, we think of covetousness as a respectable sin. Who is not
guilty of covetousness?
Even
in most godly things, saints of God aren't completely free from covetousness. A
pastor can look at others' congregations and be thinking about their progress.
A teacher to other teachers. A businessman to other businessmen. Even a spouse
could be looking at other couples, and be thinking, "I wish I have that
gift, or this and that".
Well,
covetousness is a strong desire, especially with reference to things forbidden.
It's the same prohibition listed in Moses’ 10 Commandments. [Septuagint has
that Hebrew word exactly like in the Greek NT, "epithumia"]
For
instance, I may look at fellow pastors and desire to be like them. While
desiring to be faithful like them is a godly desire, if I desire to be adored
by my congregation and be very popular among people as other pastors are, well,
that's a forbidden desire. Because adoring Christ and the popularity of Christ
is the ultimate goal of ministry, not self-popularity.
And
we all have mixed motives, the heart is deceitful, who can understand? We can't
discern even our desires. I agree with Carl Truman that nobody does anything
with a singular motive. Even at our best, when we are most godly, we are still
corrupted with sin as long as we live in this body, this side of heaven!
Lord,
search my heart's desire and tune it to Thy will! Thank You, Lord, that You are
sovereign even over my heart's desire, and that Your desire will prevail!
ROMANS
8
What
a day today is! John Piper is also reading Romans 8 today and shares his take
on v9 and 14. James White is also reading Romans 8 today and shares his take on
v7.
One
of my all-time favorite verses is also from Romans 8, verse 28. And today,
v12-14 catch my attention, but let me share from v1 because I think my world
needs to hear the comforting truth of v1 again. So,
v1.
"Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ
Jesus."
Once
we are called (saved) by God, there's no turning away. Once we are justified,
there's no un-justification anymore. God will never re-condemn us whom He has
justified once and for all.
So,
rather than being fearful about our present or future, we are promised with
v30, that we will move from justification to glorification! Never to
re-condemnation. As Steve Lawson loves to say, "The perseverance of the
saint is the perseverance of the Savior in a saint!"
O
Amazing God, how can this be that I am Your child! How should I come before You
this morning than in tears of joy and praise! Also, I do pray, Lord, that I
will never lose sight of Your love in all the moments of my life! Amen!
[06:49,
4/28/2021] S.R: ℝ𝕆𝕄𝔸ℕ𝕊 𝟡:𝟛
"For
I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of
my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh."
𝙶𝚘𝚍 𝚜𝚘 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙷𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝙷𝚒𝚜 𝚂𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚖𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚞𝚜.
𝙹𝚎𝚜𝚞𝚜 𝚜𝚘 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚞𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙷𝚎 𝚕𝚊𝚒𝚍 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝙷𝚒𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚋𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚖𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚏 𝙶𝚘𝚍.
𝙿𝚊𝚞𝚕 𝚜𝚘 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚖𝚗𝚎𝚍 (𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚋𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚕) 𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖.
𝙼𝚘𝚜𝚎𝚜 𝚜𝚘 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚊𝚢𝚎𝚍 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚗𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚎 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚞𝚝 (𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚋𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚕) 𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖 𝚝𝚘 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚑 (Exodus 32:32).
𝙳𝚘 𝚠𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚎𝚗𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚋𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝙲𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚍𝚊𝚖𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚍 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛?
𝓛𝓸𝓻𝓭, 𝓰𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓶𝓮 𝓫𝓾𝓻𝓭𝓮𝓷 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓵𝓸𝓼𝓽 𝓼𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓼. 𝓜𝓪𝓴𝓮 𝓶𝓮 𝔀𝓮𝓮𝓹 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓶! 𝓒𝓪𝓾𝓼𝓮 𝓶𝔂 𝓽𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓼 𝓽𝓸 𝓻𝓾𝓷 𝓭𝓸𝔀𝓷 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓻𝓪𝓲𝓷 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓶. 𝓜𝓪𝓴𝓮 𝓶𝓮 𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓹𝓪𝓼𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓪𝓽𝓮, 𝓬𝓸𝓾𝓻𝓪𝓰𝓮𝓸𝓾𝓼, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓹𝓪𝓼𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓪𝓽𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓵𝓸𝓼𝓽 𝓼𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓼! 𝓕𝓸𝓻 𝓨𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓰𝓵𝓸𝓻𝔂, 𝓐𝓶𝓮𝓷!
[13:23,
4/29/2021] S.R: I used the phrase "so loved" to reconnect our mind to
our beloved verse John 3:16.
BTW,
the adverb "so" in that verse (or in my writing) isn't an adverb of
extent, it's an adverb of manner.
It
doesn't mean to say 'how big' God's love is. It means to say how God's love is
'demonstrated'
That's
what the Greek word "so" means. If you google the meaning of
"so" in English, google dictionary has 4 meanings (usage) of "so,"
And the 4th meaning is what's in John 3:16. 👇
ℝ𝕆𝕄𝔸ℕ𝕊 𝟙𝟘:𝟙𝟛-𝟙𝟟
“WHOEVER
CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.” How then will they call on Him in
whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not
heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? And how will they preach
unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF
THOSE WHO PROCLAIM GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!” However, they did not all heed
the good news, for Isaiah says, “LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?” So faith
comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ."
𝚂𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚎𝚗𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚂𝚊𝚕𝚟𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗.
𝙾𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢'𝚟𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙶𝚘𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚕 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚂𝚊𝚕𝚟𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗.
𝚂𝚝𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢'𝚟𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚖 𝚘𝚗 "Ⓙⓤⓢⓣⓘⓕⓘⓒⓐⓣⓘⓞⓝ 𝚋𝚢 Ⓕⓐⓘⓣⓗ
🄰🄻🄾🄽🄴!
ɪ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ɢᴏᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʜᴇ ʜᴀs ᴄᴀᴜsᴇᴅ ᴍɪssɪᴏɴᴀʀɪᴇs ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴍʏ ʟᴀɴᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘʀᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴏsᴘᴇʟ. ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴀᴍ ᴀᴡᴇsᴛʀᴜᴄᴋ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɢᴏᴅ ᴄʜᴏᴏsᴇs ᴛᴏ sᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ʜᴇᴀᴛʜᴇɴ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴍᴇ!
𝓛𝓸𝓻𝓭, 𝔀𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓹𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓮 𝓻𝓪𝓲𝓼𝓮 𝓾𝓹 𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓶𝓲𝓼𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓪𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓼 𝔀𝓱𝓸 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓯𝓪𝓲𝓽𝓱𝓯𝓾𝓵, 𝓬𝓸𝓾𝓻𝓪𝓰𝓮𝓸𝓾𝓼, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓹𝓪𝓼𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓪𝓽𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓹𝓻𝓸𝓬𝓵𝓪𝓲𝓶 𝓨𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓖𝓸𝓼𝓹𝓮𝓵! 𝓛𝓸𝓻𝓭, 𝔀𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓶𝓪𝓴𝓮 𝓶𝓮 𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓘 𝓪𝓶 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓷𝓮𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓸 𝓫𝓮! 𝓐𝓶𝓮𝓷!
[06:14,
4/29/2021] S.R: Inspiration from Spurgeon 👍