You Are Clean

By: Rhonda Dungan

Rhonda was a lost sheep that was found and now lives in the glorious grace and love of the Shepherd.

My study the last two days has been encouraging to my soul. My joy can't help but grow wings and take flight when God whispers words of His love to my heart.  It is this flight of joy that brings this to you!

In John 13, Jesus performs an extraordinary action of love to His beloved disciples, He washes their feet. When Jesus came to Peter, there was an exchange of words as Peter struggled to allow Jesus to kneel before him and clean his feet.  Stop and think about that a moment. It is a humbling thing to have your feet washed by a brethren. It is beautiful, but humbling. Now think of Jesus, the Son of God, Prince of Glory, bowing before you, taking your dirty feet in His pure, clean hands, and washing them with a tender, gentle love.  This thought brings tears to my eyes 

It is in this exchange of words that Jesus makes the statement, 'you are clean'.  Those 3 words encircled my heart and gently gave it a hug.  The Greek word used here literally means - 'pure; purified by fire; a vine fit to bear fruit; imparts NO uncleanness; free from corrupt desire, sin or guilt; blameless; innocent; in a similitude'.  Wow!!  Similitude is defined as 'advisable likeness; an imaginative comparison; correspondence in kind or quality'.  Again I say, Wow!   Our cleanness is like that of Jesus Christ!  This is our sanctified souls dear ones!  The robe of righteousness we were adorned with when Jesus put on our sin and guilt.  

The Spirit of God penned these words through the writer of Hebrews, 'because of one sacrifice He has made perfect FOREVER those who are being made holy' (Hebrews 10:14).  From this passage, and the John 13 passage, I glean we are covered in His righteousness, yet we need a continual washing from our daily living in this world, battling our fleshly desires, and our daily walk in a corrupt world. Our feet get dirty. We need them washed daily.  

Here, I must share with you the visual aid given to me today. I stepped out of my bedroom this morning and stepped into cat throw up. Ugh. I hobbled to the bathroom, and as I was washing my foot, I was reminded by a quite voice within not to forget to meet with my Lord for my soul needed its own foot washing. That made me smile.  

I encourage the beloved of Christ to have your souls' feet washed today.  Remember, ‘you are clean’ and walk in this truth today. May you 'impart no uncleanness'. Today may you walk in the freedom of uncorrupted thinking and actions. Our Lord 'cut through the bars of iron, and broke down the gates of bronze' to redeem us from our bondage to sin. The shackles are loosed, walk in your freedom of 'you are clean'.

www.newlineministries.com 

Romans 13 Convicts Me

By: Adam McClendon

Adam is the Lead Pastor at Springhill Church and the Director of New Line Ministries.

I never cease to be amazed at my sense of entitlement, superiority, and independence.  Wow, just reading that list makes me cringe and think “Not me!  No way!”  Yet, the whispers of my heart betray me.  They reveal a secret side of me that I hate to acknowledge: one that reads certain parts of God’s Word and then, like a pagan, dismisses it as archaic and irrelevant.

Recently, I was confronted with such a passage.  Romans 13:1-7 is a powerful, under-preached, section of Scripture.  Please, go ahead and read it. 

This text is a testimony to the sovereign orchestration of God within human history.  God established government for the purpose of promoting good and punishing evil.  I’m called…no commanded, to submit to the government so long as they are not asking me to do something that is in direct violation of God’s will as revealed in the Bible.  While the text uses the example of taxes, it is not limited to that. 

Now, a couple of thoughts need to be interjected at this point. 

First, yes, the Holy Spirit through Paul is presenting a general exhortation of submission and not calling for blind allegiance.  Acts 5:29 shows we are to obey God above men, and 2 Thessalonians 2:1-13 reveals that the state can be influenced and controlled by evil that should be resisted.  Romans 13 is simply showing the normal relationship between people (especially believers) and the state.  The text is not saying that we should never be critical of government or never seek to change government, but we should always proceed with respect and honor in submission to God first and foremost, and not bowing at the altar of self.

Second, the leaders who ruled in Paul’s day were at times unbelievably cruel.  They were demanding, imposing inconvenient requirements (Matthew 5:41), and brutal.  2 Peter 2:13-17 would even specifically mention the emperor.

So, why do we find ourselves constantly criticizing those whom God has appointed over us?  Why do we constantly look for ways our government can help us, versus looking for ways we can help our government be more successful, more noble, more God-honoring?  Why do we stretch the ethical limits of tax deductions?  Why do we complain about speed limits (or absolutely ignore them)?  Why do we, when claiming to be believers, run slanderous and twisted ads against our political rivals who are currently in office?  Why do we disrespect and dishonor the President through water cooler and beauty parlor conversations or public Facebook posts?

The fact is that I have a problem with God’s governmental structure at times.  I have a problem because God did not put me in charge.  In the end, the whispers of my heart betray me.  They tell me that I don’t like having authority over me.  I think I know better than those over me.  I’m smarter.  I think I know the solutions to the global problems they face, and I’m arrogant to think so.

God, please forgive me (us) and change my (our) heart.

www.newlineministries.com 

His Way over Our Way by His Power

By: Adam McClendon

Adam is the Lead Pastor at Springhill Baptist Church and Director of NLM.

For the sermon connected with this blog, click here.

I love opportunities to talk to others about their spiritual lives.  Often in the course of the conversation, comments such as these are made:

* I want to be a godly spouse, but…

* I want to be a good worker, but…

* I want to stop being lazy, but…

* I want to stop being so selfish, but…

Immediately after that “but,” people go on to explain why they feel helpless and powerless to change and live differently. 

Fortunately, the Bible presents a different picture of the Christian life.  Believers do not have to live in a perpetual behavior rut.  God has empowered his children to live in accordance with his will, but a choice has to be made.

Galatians 5:16 reads, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”

God has empowered his children with his Spirit so that they can now live victoriously in this life; however, a choice has to be made, a choice to submit to the will of the Spirit and chose to live his way over our way by his power.

That’s the key.  We have to choose to live:

His Way      X      His Power

Our Way

Some of us are walking around trying to simply survive feeling inevitably trapped in our cycle of sin when God has provided victory.  Some are ignorant of the power that is theirs.  Some think the spiritual life is some great mystery when a lot of it comes down to a choice of submitting the will to the Spirit’s leading.

Let’s be honest.  We generally know what God wants us to do in particular situations, but choose not to.

* I knew I shouldn’t, but…

* I knew I shouldn’t cheat on that exam, but…

* I knew I shouldn’t get that pay per view when I was traveling, but…

* I knew I shouldn’t talk about them behind their back, but…

* I knew I shouldn’t have lost my temper in traffic, but…

But…nothing!  The reality is that when we live the way described above, we are communicating that we value these things over God, that we know best, that we desire the outcome more than living connected to him and for his glory.

Truth is:

* Don’t cheat on the exam.  Don’t make up the cheat sheet.  Move to another desk where you can’t see someone’s paper.  Ask the teacher for accountability.

* Rip the cable out of the hotel wall, ask the clerk to remove the tv, block all the channels with a random code you can’t remember.

* Don’t talk about people and hang out with others that will entice you to sin.

* Don’t procrastinate.  Get up early so that you are not caught in heavy traffic and tempted to get angry.  Find another route to work.

Christians do not have to live according to their old patterns any longer.  We can live victorious.  By the presence of his Spirit, we can now live:

His Way over Our Way by His Power!