[Weekly Scripture] 1 John 1:8–9 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
James 1:23-24 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.
Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
Do you feel that you truly live what the Bible teaches?
Are you seeking God?
Pray that you can give your heart over to God and live what His Word teaches.
E-Devotion by Dwight Vincent (Deacon)
If the Word of God does not cause us to see our true spiritual condition, then there is something wrong with our understanding of its principles or its applications.
How many of us would find a black smudge on our face in the mirror and go to church without wiping it off? Yet we do that spiritually. We move about with spiritually dirty faces, with lives out of sync with God.
The Bible will reveal our sin to us when we would like to deny the reality of who and what we are. Therefore, we do not transfer the principles of God’s Word to our life. We are afraid of their implications and don’t want to let go of our sin.
The issue here is that we believe in the value of our sin over the value of God’s Word so we adjust our living to our own set of values rather than God’s values. We want to forget as quickly as possible how we look to God. We cannot stand the thought that we live inconsistently with God’s plan so we deny it to ourselves. This is an issue of honesty with self.
What is your attitude toward the Word of God? James puts it quite simply: hear the Word, receive the Word, and apply the Word. There are no hidden secrets to living the Christian life. If you are a believer, then hear, receive, and obey. Seek God with all your heart and He will wipe away that sinful smudge on your face and give you peace.