January 15

ROMANS 1

²⁴ Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, ²⁵ because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

²⁸ And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. ²⁹ They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, ³¹ foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. ³² Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. – Romans 1:24-25,28-32

ROMANS 1 SINS BRING ABOUT A DEBASED MIND

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Whenever you do not take off your old nature

You will be automated to do what your flesh craves for

Your mind will be filled with covetousness and greed

You will find ways to satisfy such cravings and needs

As you continue sinning, you will develop a debased mind

It is a mind that does not retain anything that comes from God.

In the following verses, we hear the phrase “God gave them up”. It doesn’t mean that God’s has forsaken his people as he promised them. Notice that preceding this phrase are two sins that God hates. In verse 24, God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity and in verse 28, it was their debased mind to do what was not to be done. It is what they did that God was abandoning, not the person himself. God cannot tolerate sin because He is love. Sin is unloving acts. The Lord God cannot allow evil to continue when he knows that his children will suffer the consequences of their sins. But since God gave us a will to choose and decide what is good for us, he cannot force us to stop doing what we want that is hurting us. It is baffling when we confuse needs with wants and when we follow our sinful nature instead of listening to the Spirit’s guidance.

The aftermath of a believer who does not honor his own body or who constantly serves his lusts is that they become the thing they want. They do not see that their bodies are not their own, but God’s property, so they do with it what they want. Remember that we are the temple of God if we believe in Him. We will be adulterous and have loyalty to ourselves instead of to our Lord.

Another consequence of continually not acknowledging or honoring God is a debased mind. The Lord will not force them to choose the righteous path since he has already given his laws and his word to them. To continue to satisfy their desires and whims shows that they do not love the Lord and that will lead to loving themselves and all the things they love. In other words, God gave us a will to choose him, but will never force us to do so. His love for us is enough for us to honor, obey and love him back.

REFLECTION

• Why do you think God gives up on his people on these two occasions in verses 24 and 28?

January 14

ROMANS 1

¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. ¹⁹ For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. ²⁰ For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. ²¹ For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²² Claiming to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. – Romans 1:18-23

ROMANS 1 ON SUPPRESSING THE TRUTH

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

If you do not honor or thank the Lord

You will surely suppress the truth

Since the truth sets us free

Suppressing it will bond us to sin

Those who twist and pervert the truth

Will become futile, deceived and utter fools.

According to the ESV study bible, the wrath of God mentioned here by Paul refers to his personal anger against sin. God’s anger is his holy response to rejection of his love and law. Enduring.com defines ungodliness as man’s offenses against God and unrighteousness refers to the sins of man against man. Paul is addressing the Christians and the Gentiles in Rome in this letter. Paul writes this letter to a particular church in Rome. His letter applies the eternal truth of the gospel to their real-life concerns. Paul’s mission is to bring about the obedience of faith.

When we become followers of Christ, we are given the Holy Spirit so we can walk in love and in truth. Scriptures are truth and if we follow it, we would bear fruits of righteousness. Paul addresses those who are suppressors of truth in these following verses. Who is actually suppressing the truth? Apparently, the whole of humanity does. How do humans hinder truth? Throughout the history of mankind, both believers and unbelievers have somehow suppressed truth by fighting against it, disregarding it and deliberately concealing it. Because of the original sin, we automatically do not serve God but our own selves. By not following his commands, we are also guilty of suppressing truth. By not spreading God’s word, we are also hiding it. By twisting its meaning and making it our own, we are actually defying truth.

Verse 19 tells the Romans and also all of us believers that there is no reason for us not to know God because he has shown himself to all of mankind in his creation and within the mind and heart of man. So, there is no excuse for us not to acknowledge God or suppress his truth or God’s wrath is what we will eventually reap. We become foolish, futile and deceived.

REFLECTION

·       Share some insights on suppressors of truth and its aftermath on their lives.

January 9

1 JOHN 1

⁵ This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. ⁸ If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. – 1 John 1:5-9

1 JOHN 1 TO THINK ONE IS SINLESS IS A LIE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Because we have inherited sin from Adam and Eve

All human beings are by nature sinful and evil

If we claim that we are sinless, we are believing a lie

The truth is that we are all wicked and sinners

We become deceived when we believe these lies

Our minds get darkened and our hearts turn hard

But God gave us a solution to get out of such darkness

He gave Jesus so we can turn to him & become righteous.

The biggest lie that  a human being can believe is that they are sinless. Most false religions teach that there is a way to achieve that state of purity or sinlessness. Let us look into the concept of original sin in some religions. According to modernreformation.org these are some of their beliefs: The Roman Catholics believe that the original sin doesn’t have much implications on their relationship with God. Original sin is merely a deprivation of holiness, a stain or deformity which can be resolved if they go to confession to a priest and they are absolved of such sins after doing penance for it. Freedom of the will is emphasized. The Reformed and Lutherans believe that since Adam’s fall, all human beings are conceived and born in sin and inclined to sin. We sin because we are sinners. The guilt of Adam has been passed down to us. In Islam, original sin is completely denied. They are all born innocent. In Hinduism, there is no original or inherent sin. Sin is ignorance about ultimate reality. Sin is intentional wrong action which causes them to accumulate karma that prevents them from escaping ignorance and illusion. In Judaism, instead of original sin, they call it evil inclination. Rabbis teaches that they must fight their evil inclination and that they are responsible to God for their actions. They are to avoid sin by studying the Torah. In Scientology, humankind is basically good and our survival depends on our own actions and unity with the universe. The Jehovah’s witness believes that Adam and Eve were created perfect and not inclined to error. When they choose to sin, they damage their perfect nature and affect all future generations. The consequences of sin are guilt, sickness and death. Wow, isn’t that a lot of varying interpretations about original sin and the concept of sin?

REFLECTION

• What have you realized after hearing of the different concepts of sin in different religions?

January 8

1 JOHN 3

 ⁶ No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. ⁷ Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. ⁸ Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. ⁹ No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’sseed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. ¹⁰ By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. – 1 John 3:6-10

1 JOHN 3 WHEN SINNING IS A HABIT

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The child of God desires to please only Him

He abides in Him and doesn’t make a habit of sin

The person who has been born again seeks the truth

The godly obeys God and allows Scriptures to take root

The believer doesn’t listen to his cravings but resist it

A lover of God doesn’t participate in any of the devil’s tactics

A Christian wears his new creation in Christ which is righteous

He isn’t unsure and switching between his old and new nature.

In these following verses, John reveals to us the manifestation of the presence of God in our lives. In John 14:15, he brings us the true meaning of loving God which is to obey Him. Paul reiterates this concept of walking in the Spirit in Galatians 5. He says that if you walk by the Spirit, you will not gratify the desires of the flesh because the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh. They oppose each other and the Spirit keeps you from doing the things you want to do. Instead, you bear the fruits of the Spirit which is peace, love, joy, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control. Now, in these following verses John explains the reason why a person would keep on sinning and making a habit of it. He explains that anyone who makes a practice of constantly following their old nature will do what it pleases instead of doing what God requires from them.

In verse 8, John exposes the culprit of this habitual sinning. They are children of the devil. They do not believe in the Son of God whom God has given to humanity to break from this old nature. Now, can a Christian be living his old nature and claim that he is a child of God? A true believer is not double-minded or deceived. His loyalty is to God alone. Those who practice sinning are loyal to themselves, not to God. Their idols are their appetites, pleasures and cravings. They do not and cannot please God since they are opposed to what they were made for. They were created in God’s image so that they can glorify God by becoming more and more like Christ as they mature in their faith.

REFLECTION

• What does it mean when someone who claims they’re Christian habitually sins?

January 7

JAMES 4

¹³ Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— ¹⁴ yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. ¹⁷ So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. – James 4:13-16

JAMES 4 THE SINS OF BOASTING & NOT DOING WHAT’S RIGHT

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As believers, we are called to humility and God-dependence

Boasting is indicative of arrogance and self-reliance

When one brags about his achievements and talents

He is actually removing God out of the picture

When one boast, he denies that God is Creator of all things

He cannot claim credit for anything since God made everything

Arrogance is a form of defiance against God’s provision

Boasting is defying God’s gift and is called self promotion.

What is the common factor between boasting and arrogance? They both are rooted in pride.  In Psalm 10:4, the psalmist says “In the pride of his facethe wicked does not seek him;
all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”  In Proverbs 16:18 Solomon says that pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. From these verses, we can define pride as an extreme love for oneself that he cannot recognize God. Another commentator defines it as not seeing ourselves as God sees us. It is also elevating oneself if not equal with God, even better. James gives us a very clear example of the sins of boasting and arrogance. It doesn’t seem outright evil to plan something and assume that things will go as one thinks as verse 13 indicates. He points out that such planning without humility and God’s counsel, the proud man will fail. Why? Because he removed God out of the picture. It is only his thoughts, his plans and his effort that counts. It is a form of idolatry. The idol is the “self.”

So, what is the antidote for pride? Colossians 3:12 says, “Therefore, as God`s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” 1Peter 5:6 says, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” Let God boast about you just as he boasted to the devil how righteous Job was. C.S Lewis once wrote, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.” The same way John the Baptist says “He must increase and I must decrease.”

Another sin that James discusses here is the sin of failing to do what is right. In other words, as Christians, we are not just hearers of the word but also doers. He reiterates this in chapter 1:22,25 says But, don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.  If you do what the perfect law says and do not forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

REFLECTION

• How is Galatians 6:4 a different kind of pride as discussed here by James?

January 6

JAMES 4

⁶ But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” ⁷ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹ Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.¹¹ Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. ¹² There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? – James 4:6-12

JAMES 4 CRITICAL & WAVERING MINDS LEAD TO SIN

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When a believer thinks highly of himself, he will find fault

It is his way of lifting himself up and putting others down

He will think and speak evil of others when he is critical

It leads to conflict and all kinds of division with others

A wavering mind cannot decide to whom it will stay faithful

It believes two opposing forces which makes them unstable

In all their ways, they are hesitant and doubtful

They don’t commit since they are very disloyal.

In the first book of James, he commands the believers to not waver. He then describes a double-minded or wavering person as someone whose loyalty is divided. He cannot make up his mind and James compares them to the wave of the sea that is very unsettled because it is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord according to James. No grace or blessing from the Lord is the consequence of the sin of wavering. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are double-minded in everything they do. They are committing adultery to God because they do not love the Lord their God with all their mind, heart, soul and strength. They are making sure that they get the best of both worlds. God is a jealous God and will not put up with unfaithfulness. In verse 8, James exhorts the double-minded man to purify their hearts. His antidote against the wavering mind is to humble themselves before God and obey his law.

In verse 11, he exhorts the believers not to speak evil of others or to judge them. Why do you think James cautions us to speak evil of others? Because it is against the law of love. In 1 Corinthians 13, it says that “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant ⁵ or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful, ⁶ it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” If we walk in love, we will not speak ill of others or judge them wrongly or harshly, but in love bear with one another.

REFLECTION

• How prevalent are wavering and critical minds in our world today?

January 5

JAMES 4

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passionsare at war within you? ² You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. ³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. ⁴ You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? – James 4:1-5

JAMES 4 WORLDLY PASSIONS LEAD TO SIN

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When we desire earthly things, we open doors to sin

The devil prowls to keep us away from Him

The Lord God made us in his own image

So that we look more and more like Him

We were created for worshiping only Him

When we pursue worldly things, it leads to sin.

The book of James exposes the many causes of sin. In these following verses, he identifies the sources of quarrels and fights which in itself are sins. He points out that passions and desires make us do things that lead to quarrels and fights. Passions and desire can be good if it is going to bring glory to the Lord, but if they are things that are worldly, it will definitely open doors to sin. In verse 4, James mentions adultery as friendship with the world. Many bible verses especially in the book of Hosea, spiritual adultery is synonymous to idolatry. God is steadfast and faithful and he expects his people to also be devoted to him alone because he is a jealous God, wanting our loyalty and service to him alone. He won’t settle for less or won’t be pleased if we are seeking worldly pleasures instead of his love for us. James uses very strong language as an enemy of God if we are hedonistic or pleasure seekers. In verse 5, God yearns jealously for the desire that he has put in our hearts which is to long for him alone. When we have idols that we place prior to our devotion to Him, he hates that because we are hurting ourselves when we do that.

Covetousness is also another source of such sins. When we want to possess what we do not have or own, we resort to doing anything in our power to get that desire or want. That is covetousness. That will lead to other sins such as murder as he talks about in verse 2.

He also identifies in verse 3 that selfishness and pride also lead to conflicts. When a believer is not humble enough to ask God for something good for him, pride is clearly the reason for such self-sufficiency. When we are independent and self-reliant, we discount the need to ask for help from a higher source. We think we can take care of things. This mindset clearly removes God in the picture who is the source of all help and wisdom.

REFLECTION

·       Cite instances when a good passion or desire can easily turn into an idol that God hates?