Virtual Devotions

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’  But I say to you, do not resist a malicious person; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also”  - Matthew 5:38-39

Dear Friends,

It seems today that everyone is clamoring for their rights.  The right to do this or the right to do that.  It seems you can’t turn on the news without hearing that someone is suing someone else because their rights have been violated.

Many of these “rights” are rights by the law, but are they right morally and ethically?  Just because we have the right to do something, does that mean we are free to do it? 

Jesus taught us to go beyond the law to do what is right morally and ethically, not only legally.  In those days, if someone poked out my eye, I had the right to poke out their eye.  But what good does that do other than to satisfy my own anger and vengeance?  However, if I choose to show mercy to the person, they are unharmed and I have done what is morally right.

There was a time when men had the right to beat their wives.  In some countries today, they still do.  Just because it is legal, certainly doesn’t make it right.   Today we are faced with many moral and ethical issues.  The question is, even if these things are legal that doesn’t mean they are morally or ethically right.

So listen to your conscience and think about what you are doing.  As Christians, we are taught not to drag someone to court, but to work it out amongst ourselves.  And if that doesn’t work, let it go.  Better to be wronged than to be right.

In Christ,

David

“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?” – Romans 6:1

Dear Friends,

Last Friday, I was witnessing to a friend at work.  He professed to believe in Jesus, yet still he also believed he was heaven-bond because of his good works.  Something I hear far too often.

Being that we are both salesmen, I explained to him how in our business life, we are measured by our performance.  If we don’t sell, we don’t eat.  I related that to his perception of salvation and had empathy for his understanding of it.  As salesmen, we are conditioned to a “works-oriented” mentality.

I then explained to him how for many years, I believed I could earn my right relationship with God by being a good person.  The trouble was that I also knew how bad I was and every time I held up the two accounts, good stuff vs. bad stuff, the bad stuff was greater no matter how much good stuff I did. I came to realize that I couldn’t be in a right relationship with God on my own.  I needed help.  That’s when I turned to Jesus.

I went on to explain that it’s all about Jesus.  Our performance does not play a part in our salvation.  You don’t earn it by good works and you don’t lose it by bad works.  It’s all by faith in Jesus Christ and it’s eternal.

On Monday, he called me back and asked, if salvation is eternal and my poor performance doesn’t effect my salvation, why not just go on sinning for the “fun” of it. 

That’s simple.  When we are truly saved, we become a new creation, a new being.  The old is tossed out and the new is ushered in.  We have a changing of our minds and hearts.  Even though we could sin, sin is now so abhorrent to us that we turn from it voluntarily.  To think that we would want to sin after being saved is unthinkable.  If anyone continues to sin after being saved, that would cast doubt on the reality of their salvation.

Is that to say we never sin after being saved?  Of course not.  We still struggle with the old nature, but it no longer rules.  And being saved we recognize our sin as sin and turn to the Lord for forgiveness and assistance in overcoming it.  

It’s amazing to me how the same questions have been coming up for nearly 2,000 years.  Read your Bible and you’ll find the answers to just about everything people throw at you.

In Christ,

David

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” – Luke 5:16

Dear Friends,

When I first became a believer, the Spirit impressed upon me a deep desire to pray.  And having only just come out of being more business-minded than Christ-like, my first thought was, “when is God available to hear my prayer?”

This may sound silly to you, but in business, as in life, when you want to meet with someone or go out to dinner or do whatever, you have to arrange to get on his or her calendar.  And if you are trying to meet with someone who is very important and always busy, at times it is seemingly impossible to schedule an appointment.   And who is more important or busier than God?

So I pulled out my calendar and looked at my typical day.  And it turned out that the best time for me was early in the morning.  So, I then checked with God to see if He would be available at that time.   Don’t you know it, He was.  As a matter of fact, to my amazement God’s calendar was completely open.  There was no time blocked out on His calendar for anyone but me.  So I booked a regular time on my calendar to be with Him.

But my needs and my calendar are always changing and I often find that I need to speak to God at other times too.  Don’t you know He has an open door policy too!  God is never too busy for me to come to Him and knock on His door and ask Him if He has a minute to spend with me.  He has never told me He is too busy.

Mysteriously, God has the same policy toward you.  There is nothing on His calendar more important than you.  There is nothing that He is doing at any time that is more important than you.  You don’t have to be afraid to call out to Him anytime or anywhere.  He is always available.

In Christ,

David